LARGO, Fla — On Thursday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced in a press conference (located below) that a local man was arrested and accused of bringing an explosive device to the protest outside of the county courthouse in Largo on Jan. 6.
The protest was organized to oppose the detention of Jeremy Brown, a retired special forces U.S. Army officer who served 20 years in the military. He was arrested in late September on charges of entering restricted grounds and possession of unregistered firearms.
Gualtieri stated during the press conference that the man, later identified as Garrett James Smith, 22, was seen wearing a face covering and dressed in all black, and was carrying a black backpack while running away from the protest.
Deputies caught up with Smith at 144th Ave North just west of 46th Street North in Clearwater.
Deputies then conducted an investigation and arrested Smith on charges of loitering and prowling. Once they searched his backpack, they found an alleged explosive device along with other items.
A search of the area was conducted and no additional explosives were found.
As the investigation continued, deputies acquired a warrant for Smith’s home where they eventually located more explosive devices.
During the press conference, Gualtieri characterized Smith as a “sleeper.”
“Those are the ones that are most concerning and the hardest to figure out,” he said.
Looking into Smith’s background, detectives said that he has no criminal history and lives at home with his mother and father in Oldsmar.
At this time, detectives do not know why Smith had the alleged explosive devices in his possession or what he intended to do with them. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office’s investigation is still ongoing and this story will be updated once more information becomes available.
More Photos From the Investigation:
Watch the full press conference below: