Nation & World News
Man arrested after car with guns, explosives found at Mississippi church
By WHBQ-Memphis
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A man is in custody for his connection to bomb materials found behind a Mississippi church.
Jason Moncrief, 41, has been arrested for trespassing, the Southaven Police Department said.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, possible bomb-making materials and guns were found in Moncrief’s car.
On Thursday, a Southaven Police Department officer spotted Moncrief around 8:30 p.m. near Brown Missionary Baptist Church.
“This has been something that they have been monitoring for a while,” Pastor Bartholomew Orr said.
The officer continued to observe Moncrief due to recent information that someone had been seen near the rear of the church over the past few days. While the officer was waiting for an additional officer to arrive, the suspect drove to the back of the church and stopped.
The officers were able to make contact with the suspect and identify him. Officers then learned that the man’s family owned the property just north of the church that is located across the state line in Tennessee. While making contact with the suspect the officers noticed homemade incendiary devices inside the vehicle. The officers also found a few firearms and other items of interest.
On Friday morning, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives arrived to review the scene.
The ATF said they're trying to figure out if the flammable devices that Moncrief had actually constitute a bomb.
Orr said he doesn't think the church was the suspect’s intended target, however.
"We don't believe that it was a threat to the church," Orr said. “We do want to thank God first of all.”
The church security told police the suspect had previously been told to stay off church property. The church released the following official statement regarding the incident.
“Dear Brown Family, You may have heard news reports that there was a potentially harmful incident that took place at...
Posted by Brown Missionary Baptist Church on Friday, April 8, 2016
The case is still under investigation as additional charges are pending.
If anyone has information about this incident, please contact either the DeSoto County Crime Stoppers at (662) 429- 8477 or the Southaven Police Department (662) 393-8652.
