GOLDEN CITY, Mo. (KOAM) – When Terry Mitchell was pulled over for an outdated tag, the police say he had a bomb in his car.
The Barton County Sheriff’s Office said more about the charges.
Mitchell was pulled over on Mill Street in Golden City by a Barton County Sheriff’s officer on September 24. In court papers, the deputy says they knew about the car ahead of time and knew it had been driving around without state plates or with the wrong ones.
As the deputy got closer, he saw a tag that had already expired in 2022.
He stopped the driver near Hicks Avenue and Main Street and found out that Mitchel hadn’t had a legal license since 2010.
Mitchell was stopped by the deputy, who then asked him if there was anything important in the car. Records show that Mitchell told the officer that he had something wrapped in tape sitting in the middle desk at that time.
The deputy saw the thing and asked Mitchell about it. Mitchell is said to have said that it was a bomb.
When the police called the Springfield Bomb Squad, they made the device safe and took it to their station.
After getting an x-ray of the bomb, the squad told the deputy that it was, in fact, a real bomb.
This is what Mitchell is officially being charged with by the Barton County Prosecutor:
Unlawful Possession, Transport, Manufacture, Repair Or Sale Of Illegal Weapon
- Not Allowed to Drive or Suspended
- Owner operating a motor vehicle without keeping up with financial obligations
- Not registering a motor vehicle
A case management meeting is set for October 1 in which Mitchell will be present.
“We would like to thank Springfield Fire Department for their response to the incident. We would also like to thank Golden City Fire Department for assisting with setting a perimeter around the scene. We would also like to thank the citizens of Golden City for their patience and cooperation during the incident.” – Sheriff John Simpson