Iroquois County, IL – A 39-year-old man from Onarga, Illinois, was arrested Thursday after allegedly making a bomb threat during a traffic stop in Onarga.
According to reports, Iroquois County Sheriff’s Police stopped a vehicle on W. Lincoln Ave. for a suspended registration. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer identified James R. Nelson as the front seat passenger and confirmed he was wanted on an outstanding felony arrest warrant for Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding.
When the officer attempted to take Nelson into custody, he allegedly reached into the backseat and produced an object, claiming it was a bomb and threatening to detonate it. Nelson then fled the scene on foot, running into a nearby residence. Authorities quickly established a perimeter, and the East Central Illinois Bomb Squad and Kankakee County Emergency Response Team were called to assist.
After a search of the residence, authorities located Nelson hiding in the attic. He was arrested and transported to Iroquois Memorial Hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during his arrest. A bomb squad later confirmed that the item Nelson claimed was a bomb was an actual explosive device, which was safely rendered inoperative.
Nelson remains hospitalized and faces charges of Possession of Explosives or Explosive Devices and Aggravated Battery of a Peace Officer. Other agencies involved in the response include the Illinois State Police and Conservation Police.
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