Columbus police find multiple explosive devices, arrest man after standoff
The Columbus Police Department arrested a suspect after a standoff on 19th Street and located multiple explosive devices in the area, according to a news release.
Officers were dispatched to the area of 13th Avenue and 19th Street Monday morning at 5:14 a.m. regarding a man acting erratically and threatening to set fires, the release said. Multiple improvised explosive devices were found in the area, according to police.
“It’s sort of a mixed bag on whether they would have or could have gone off,” Sgt. Aaron Evrard, assistant public information officer for CPD, told the Ledger-Enquirer. “But they definitely had the capability of igniting. At least, I will say there was definitely the capability for them to cause damage.”
The devices would not have caused a massive explosion because they were small, Evrard said, and they were not “particularly sophisticated.” However, they did have the potential to create fire, he said.
After an investigation, probable cause was established that Ian Aycock, 30, was responsible for making the devices.
Officers returned to the area Monday afternoon after receiving information that Aycock was back in the area, the release said, and found him inside of a home. Aycock refused to leave until approximately 7 p.m. when Columbus police were able to convince him to come out and surrender.
The exact time of when the standoff began is unable to be confirmed, Evrard told the L-E.
Aycock was arrested for manufacturing an explosive device, which is a felony. He was also charged with multiple misdemeanors including two counts of reckless conduct, drug related objects and simple assault.
It is possible that Aycock might have other charges coming, Evrard said. Aycock appeared in Recorder’s Court Tuesday morning.
This story was originally published June 14, 2022 at 2:21 PM.
