A seemingly ordinary police search warrant in a United States (US) suburb over a flare gun turned fiery when an explosion suddenly destroyed a suspect’s house.
The eruption, which sent debris flying everywhere, also snapped power lines and set off loud car alarms.
The suspect is currently still unaccounted for but some officers reportedly suffered minor injuries.
Since the house was a duplex, the suspect’s neighbour’s home also went up in flames.
Around 4.45pm, police in Virginia’s Arlington County arrived at a house for an investigation. Residents nearby apparently reported that the resident there had shot a flare gun from his home, according to WTOP.
The police officers obtained a search warrant that evening and attempted to execute it.
A neighbour by the name of Alex Wilson who watched the incident unfold told FOX News that the SWAT team arrived after an hours-long standoff between the suspect and the police that seemed to see no end.
At this point, the situation began to escalate as the authorities failed to persuade the suspect to exit his residence.
The police and SWAT team thus attempted to force their way into the house by driving a SWAT truck through the front door. That was allegedly when shots were fired and the house suddenly blew up.
Source: @connormaj on Twitter
With little warning, a plume of fire and smoke tore the building apart.
The explosion sent debris flying all around, snapping power lines and plunging the house next door into darkness. Other houses nearby lost power as well.
Source: @connormaj on Twitter
Shortly after, the shrill wail of car alarms filled the air, followed by barking dogs.
“Holy f*cking shit!” someone off-camera exclaimed, adequately summing up the situation.
Alex Wilson, who was filming the scene from his rooftop, commented that he felt just pure shock in the moment. Others described a strong acrid smell in the area.
Source: @alanhenney on Twitter
Associated Press (AP) reported that the explosion could be heard from over 3.2km away. Another neighbour thought a tree fell on his house after feeling his whole house shake.
Fortunately, no one suffered serious injuries in the explosion. However, the police did not know how many people were inside the house at the time.
Firefighters faced the task of battling the raging fire in the remains of the home. They managed to bring the fire under control after a few hours.
Source: @ATFWashington on Twitter
The explosion and inferno left little of the house standing. Sadly, news sites identified the building as a duplex house.
While police did not disclose any residents as casualties, the blast still destroyed the entire home and possessions of the suspect’s neighbours.
As for the suspect, Alex Wilson alleged that he was a man by the name of James Yoo, a recluse whom no one had seen.
His LinkedIn page features bizarre rants about conspiracies, including a claim that his neighbours wanted to kill him on 7 Dec.
Source: @richblong on Twitter
ARLNow reported that Yoo was listed in public records as the resident of the address in question. However, police have not yet confirmed if Yoo is the suspect in question.
Also read: Fire Breaks Out After Secondhand Aircon Explodes In Redhill, 2 Conveyed To Hospital
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Featured image adapted from @connormaj on Twitter and @alanhenney on Twitter.
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