Man accused of throwing explosive at Bannock County Courthouse - East Idaho News
Crime Watch

Man accused of throwing explosive at Bannock County Courthouse

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POCATELLO — A Gate City man has been charged with third-degree arson after deputies say he ignited an explosive at the Bannock County Courthouse on Wednesday.

Bannock County Sheriff’s officials say Christopher Griffin lit a Molotov cocktail bomb and threw it at the courthouse during the early morning hours.

Police say around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday they got a call from the courthouse about suspicious markings on the concrete and building that looked like residue from an explosion.

Deputies reviewed surveillance video and saw a person walk across to the building from a alleyway. Officers saw the person light a device followed by a large fireball. The person then ran away from the south side of the courthouse.

Sheriff Lorin Nielsen tells EastIdahoNews.com the fire department did not respond. The fire went out quickly and caused only superficial damage to the sidewalk and a small portion of the courthouse.

Deputies learned Griffin had been at a Chevron gas station around 4 a.m. Wednesday filling up a glass bottle with gas. He returned at 12:30 a.m. Thursday to fill up another bottle.

Store clerks called police, who arrested Griffin and brought him in for questioning. During their interview, deputies say Griffin admitted he had thrown the bomb and planned to throw more because he was angry about something that had happened at the courthouse, according to KPVI.

Griffin was to be arraigned later Wednesday.

We’ll update this story with more details as they become available.

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