Medicine Hat Police Service Staff Sgt. Jason Graham holds a mock-up of the smaller of the two the homemade pipe bombs discovered in Medicine Hat on Nov. 23, 2022 and April 1, respectively.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
A Medicine Hat man is facing charges in relation to the discovery of two homemade pipe bombs discovered in the city since last November.
Police encountered the first of the two pipe bombs on Nov. 23, 2022, when they responded to a report of a suspicious device in the area of Terrace Drive and 11th Avenue NE. Members of the Medicine Hat Police Service’s Explosives Disposal Unit identified the item as a homemade pipe bomb and safely disposed of it.
The second pipe bomb was identified and disposed of on April. 1, when police responded to another report of a suspicious device, this time in the area of Cactus Street.
An investigation regarding the pipe bombs led to the search of a residential property in the 300 block of 11th Street SW, following which 40-year-old James Jerard McNulty was arrested and charged with two counts of making or possessing an explosive substance, four counts of failing to comply with a release order and one count of possession of a controlled substance.
McNulty remained in police custody from the time of his arrest on April 27 until his April 28 bail hearing, but was released following the hearing.
MHPS are continuing to monitor McNulty closely as he awaits his next scheduled court appearance on May 25.
Criminal Investigation Section Staff Sgt. Jason Graham confirmed to the News the two incidences were target-specific, though he was unable to provide further details regarding the intended targets, nor suspect’s motives in allegedly targeting them.
“There is no concern for public safety,” said Graham. “We do not believe there’s any more devices out there.”
