Man suspected of having pipe bomb

The Daily Inter Lake

A man arrested Friday outside the Whitefish Police Department was found to be carrying what appeared to be a pipe bomb.

Whitefish police released information Monday about an alleged attempt by a transient to bring a pipe bomb into the police station.

Andrew Scott Benningfield, 35, was arrested and initially charged with disorderly conduct. A subsequent X-ray of the pipe he was carrying revealed a firing pin and a .30-.30 caliber rifle cartridge inside.

According to a press release, officers heard someone trying to break into the police department at 9:33 p.m. Upon investigation, they found Benningfield in the immediate area with some objects in his hands.

After Benningfield initially failed to obey officers' directions to stop, he was arrested for disorderly conduct. Officers recognized Benningfield as a transient with numerous prior contacts with the department.

Officers secured the suspected bomb, then found Benningfield's truck in the department parking lot, blocking parked vehicles. A search warrant was obtained for the truck.

The Whitefish Police Department called in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to assist with the bomb identification and the vehicle search. Agents arrived Saturday, bringing a explosive-sniffing canine and a portable X-ray instrument.

Their investigation with the X-ray revealed the contents of the pipe. The vehicle search found 98 rounds of various caliber rifle ammunition. Two rifle cartridges were configured in the same way as the ammunition and firing pin imaged in the bomb.

Benningfield remains in custody at Flathead County Detention Center on a $200,000 bond. The county attorney's office is considering an additional charge of possession of a destructive device.