JOHN DAY, Ore. — An apparently routine traffic stop in rural eastern Oregon dragged on for several hours as state police worked to disarm a bomb, according to the Oregon State Police (OSP).
Around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, a trooper assigned to the John Day Worksite pulled over a 2015 Toyota Scion on Highway 26 near milepost 163.
The stop resulted in the arrest of three occupants for a variety of reasons. OSP said that the trooper arrested the driver, 37-year-old Jeremiah Alsop of Prairie City, for a DUII and two felony warrants. The vehicle's owner, 22-year-old Alycia Howes, was arrested on another felony warrant. The agency said that John Day Police arrested a third person, 22-year-old Tanner Prock, as part of an earlier investigation.
However, the three arrests did not turn out to be the highlight of the evening.
"During the traffic contact an explosive device was located," OSP said in a statement.
The trooper called in the OSP Explosives Unit, which deployed a robot and eventually "rendered the device safe." The agency said that Hwy 26 was closed down for about two and a half hours.
After the incident wrapped up, OSP said that Alsop will be facing additional charges for unlawful possession of a destructive device and possession of methamphetamine. Howes will also be charged with possession of methamphetamine.