Man charged for having a bomb, discovered during a traffic stop

GOLDEN CITY, Mo. (KOAM) - Authorities say Terry Mitchell had a bomb in his vehicle when they pulled him over for an expired tag.

The Barton County Sheriff's Office released an update about charges.

On Tuesday, September 24, a Barton County Sheriff's deputy pulled Mitchell over on Mill Street in Golden City. In court documents, the deputy states they had prior knowledge of the vehicle and was aware it had been traveling with no or improper state plates.

The deputy got closer and saw an expired tag from 2022.

He pulled the driver over near Hicks Ave and Main Street and learned Mitchel didn't have a valid driver's license since 2010.

The deputy detained Mitchell and asked if there was anything in the vehicle he should know about. According to court documents, at that point, Mitchell said he had an item wrapped in tape sitting in the middle console.

The deputy saw the item and asked Mitchell about that item. Mitchell allegedly responded that it was a bomb.

Authorities called in the Springfield Bomb Squad which rendered the device safe and took it to their facility.

After an x-ray of the bomb, the squad told the deputy it was indeed an actual explosive device.

The Barton County Prosecutor has formally charged Mitchell with the following:

• Unlawful Possession, Transport, Manufacture, Repair Or Sale Of Illegal Weapon
• Driving While Revoked/Suspended
• Owner Operating Motor Vehicle without Maintaining Financial Responsibility
• Failure To Register Motor Vehicle

Mitchell is scheduled to be in court on October 1 for a case management conference.

"We would like to thank Springfield Fire Department for their response to the incident. We would also like to thank Golden City Fire Department for assisting with setting a perimeter around the scene. We would also like to thank the citizens of Golden City for their patience and cooperation during the incident." - Sheriff John Simpson

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