Outside of a police precinct in New York City, a strange event featuring a machete and what seemed to be a pipe bomb led to the arrest of two cousins on July 24th.
According to the NYPD, the two males arrived at the 25th Precinct in East Harlem in a vehicle shortly before noon. According to the driver’s statement to the police, the passenger threatened him with a machete. Police discovered the knife in the car and arrested him.
The victim claimed the vehicle contained an explosive device. According to the police, it looked to be a functioning improvised explosive device. Bomb squad members from the New York Police Department were sent to the scene for further examination.
Several charges, including illegal weapon possession, reckless endangerment, and assault with the intent to physically harm someone, were leveled against 50-year-old Chontrell Wernick. According to the NYPD, an altercation that led to the involvement of the police was caused by Wrenick’s suspected use of a machete to attack his cousin. As a result, he is now facing assault charges.
At a press conference, NYPD Deputy Chief Jason Huerta of the Counter Terrorism Division said that the suspect in possession of the device was exhibiting psychosis and rambling thoughts. According to the authorities, the act did not seem to have any political or terroristic undertones.
Police records show that both males involved in the event had 20 arrest records for narcotics and grand larceny offenses. However, no arrests have occurred during the past five to ten years. The current situation seemed to have been a domestic disagreement. The individual who possessed the device would be evaluated for mental health difficulties.
The bomb that evacuated police from an East Harlem district on Wednesday was described by authorities on Thursday, July 26th, as a rudimentary device with a modest explosive powder effect.
