PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man whose apartment was searched for a possible bomb Friday remained in the Clallam County jail Saturday on a separate matter with no bond set.
No bomb was found in the apartment at 1019 W. 18th St., although investigators found components that possibly could be used in an explosive device, Port Angeles Interim Police Chief Brian Smith said.
Neighbors who had been evacuated Friday afternoon during the investigation were allowed back into their homes at about 8 p.m.
Joshua Scott Curry, 32, was arrested at about 8:06 a.m. Friday by Port Angeles police for investigation of first-degree burglary and unlawful handling of a firearm, said Port Angeles Sgt. Josh Powless.
During that incident, Curry had allegedly entered a residence unlawfully and brandished a firearm as part of a suspected domestic violence incident, said Port Angeles Sgt. Jason Viada on Saturday.
“If a person knowingly and unlawfully answers or remains in the residence of another with intent to commit a crime therein against a person, then he has committed the crime of burglary,” Viada said, citing state law.
Additionally, if “you are armed with a deadly weapon while you submit that burglary, then it is first-degree burglary,” he said.
The alleged victim told police that in a prior conversation, Curry had said he wanted to go out in a “blaze of glory” in a shootout with police, Viada said.
After Curry’s arrest, police obtained a search warrant for his residence and served it at about 12:15 p.m. Friday.
“During the course of that, officers found some devices that appeared to be explosive,” Powless said.
They found a hand grenade, which later was determined to be inert.
Officers also located a device that appeared to be a homemade detonator for an improvised explosive device, Powless said.
Police contacted State Patrol to request an explosives unit from Kitsap County and evacuated neighboring tenants in the area between C and D streets and 17 and 18th streets.
Law enforcement personnel with State Patrol; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Clallam County Sheriff’s Office; Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team; and Border Patrol assisted Port Angeles police with Port Angeles Fire Department personnel on stand-by.
Bomb squad
The State Patrol investigators, also known as the bomb squad, arrived at the apartment complex shortly after 3 p.m. with a remote-controlled vehicle with a camera and robotic arm.
Along with the components that could be part of an explosive device, they also found several firearms, including a suppressed, fully automatic short-barrel rifle, Powless said.
Officers continued to process evidence Saturday.
Additional charges may be recommended to the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Powless said.
Waiting it out
Several of the neighboring tenants at the apartment complex — including Troy Johnson, 34, and Beverly Johnson, 64 — congregated along a shaded area of C Street just east of the apartment complex during the evacuation.
At about 1 p.m., officers “came to the apartment where we are and they told us that there has been a bomb threat and [needed] to clear the building,” Beverly said.
“Everybody just started moving on down, and [police] blocked off the whole thing.”
Troy arrived at the already cordoned-off apartment complex after finishing work for the day.
He said that while the evacuation was an inconvenience, he understood why police had initiated the procedure.
Both Troy and Beverly had talked to Curry in the past and said he appeared to be a friendly person.
“He seemed a cool guy, actually,” Troy said.
The Port Angeles School District was notified so it could re-route children and buses departing schools in the area. Police also contacted Fairchild International Airport in Port Angeles because the approach flight path passes directly overhead of the apartment complex.
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.