DAVENPORT, FL — Late last night, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Haines City Police Department officers responded to a single-vehicle crash at the Publix parking lot located at 39883 Highway 27. The vehicle involved was a silver Chevrolet Silverado.
Officers made contact with the driver, identified as 43-year-old Benjamin Donald Johnson. Johnson refused multiple commands to exit the vehicle. Officers physically removed him from the truck. Multiple firearms were observed in plain view inside the vehicle.
While Johnson was detained in a patrol vehicle, an officer overheard him state there was a “dirty bomb” in the truck. Officers located a yellow plastic container secured with chains and locks bearing a radioactive warning label. Officers established a perimeter, evacuated the immediate area, closed surrounding roadways, and requested the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad and Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives.
A Florida State Fire Investigator arrived and confirmed the container was emitting low-level radioactivity. Subsequent examination by FDLE, ATF, and an FBI bomb technician determined the device was a troxler moisture density gauge used for soil testing. Radiation levels were reported to be lower than those of a standard medical X-ray.
The gauge was secured and transported to the Haines City Police Department for inspection by the Florida Bureau of Radioactive Material.
A search of Johnson’s vehicle revealed:
- Multiple firearms
- Ammunition and magazine speed loaders
- Thermal scopes
- Knives
- Battering ram
- Night vision goggles
- Cannabis
- THC-positive gummies
Johnson stated he was in the area for work and had been living in the vehicle with his dog. The dog was turned over to Polk County Animal Control without incident.
Johnson was transported to the Polk County Jail and charged with:
- Hoax weapon of mass destruction
- False report concerning a bomb or explosive
- Unlawful possession of a controlled substance
- Resisting officers without violence
A records check showed Johnson has a prior arrest in Tennessee for marijuana possession.
Roadways in the area were closed for approximately four hours during the investigation. All roads were reopened once the scene was declared safe.
The investigation into the recovered firearms remains ongoing. Nothing further at this time.
Source: Haines City Police Department
https://5starcarsinc.com/
