Salt Lake City – Bomb-making Materials Found After Routine Traffic Stop

A routine traffic stop in Salt Lake City resulted in the discovery of a man armed with an illegal gun and bomb-making materials.

About 8:30 p.m. an officer pulled over a vehicle on a muffler violation. The officer discovered Justin Hallman, 34, was driving on a suspended license. But the muffler and the license were the least of Hallman’s problems, said Salt Lake City police detective Jared Wihongi.

The officer next discovered a loaded pistol in Hallman’s waistband, he said. The serial number was filed off, Wihongi said.

After placing Hallman under arrest, a closer look at his car revealed what appeared to be homemade bombs and other bomb-making materials, Wihongi said. Salt Lake City’s bomb squad was called to the scene. They found an incendiary device made of a carbon dioxide cartridge. Also found, but not part of any constructed bomb, were nails, a 5-gallon propane tank and wire.

Homemade bombs using carbon dioxide cartridges traditionally have been powerful enough to seriously injure or even kill a person in close proximity, Wihongi said. Investigators were unsure Monday what Hallman planned to do with the bombs.

Hallman was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of two counts of explosives violations, drug possession, altering the serial number of a firearm, illegally carrying a concealed weapon and driving on a suspended license.