Former KSU professor accused of having pipe bomb in his SUV

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office was executing a search warrant at a home on Zachary Court when a man said he had explosives in his SUV. The Cobb police bomb squad was called to the scene.

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

Credit: JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office was executing a search warrant at a home on Zachary Court when a man said he had explosives in his SUV. The Cobb police bomb squad was called to the scene.

Authorities swarmed a neighborhood in north Cobb County and evacuated homes Tuesday morning after a man told officials he had an explosive in his SUV.

The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office was executing a search warrant at a home in the 4900 block of Zachary Court about 7:30 a.m. when Brent Christopher Allsup, a former Kennesaw State University professor, made the disclosure, officials told AJC.com.

Brent Christopher Allsup (Credit: Cobb County Sheriff’s Office)

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“We were executing a search and seizure warrant on ... Allsup for theft by taking and false statements,” the sheriff’s office said. “We were here to seize a 2017 Tahoe. Upon searching the Tahoe, we found what appeared to be an explosive device.”

The sheriff’s office called the Cobb police bomb squad. Authorities safely removed the device, according to police.

The explosive was a PVC pipe bomb with flash powder, .45 calibration pistol ammunition and electric ignition system, police said. Though the ingredients point to the bomb being active, police said they can’t say for sure.

The bomb squad safely removed the explosive from the car. JOHN SPINK / JSPINK@AJC.COM

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Allsup is in police custody on additional charges of possession and manufacture of a destructive device, reckless conduct and cruelty to children, according to the sheriff’s office.

Allsup had been arrested Oct. 5 after he was found passed out and allegedly intoxicated on the Kennesaw State campus. He later resigned and has not worked at KSU since, according to the school.