Bombs in hosp

No harm, but L.I. man held after stirring fear

Security guards at Stony Brook Hospital were immediately suspicious of a man dressed in a military-style tactical vest that sported clips of 9 mm. ammo and a “Black Guns Matter” patch, Suffolk County law enforcement officials said Thursday.

But what Robert Roden carried in his backpack on Tuesday night was truly scary — officers found three crude grenade-size bombs, said police.

“The bombs could have been detonated if they were made correctly,” Suffolk County Chief of Detectives Gerard Gigante told reporters.

It was not immediately clear how much damage might have been caused by the bombs, which could be ignited by lighting a wick, Gigante said. The FBI was still analyzing the explosives on Thursday, Gigante said.

Roden, 33, of Mastic Beach, L.I., also had in his waistband a pellet gun carrying 9 mm. bullets — like the bullets in the ammo clips — authorities said. He carried a hatchet and a pair of metal handcuffs in his backpack as well, police said.

When questioned by a

Suffolk police officer, Roden suggested cops turn their attention to George Floyd protesters, court papers say.

“There’s people burning police cars, breaking all your windows,” Roden said. “You really going to lock me up for a knife?”

His detention forced the lockdown of two floors of the hospital — including the emergency room — while the explosives were taken away. Additional bombs and bomb-making materials were found in Roden’s home, said Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart.

So far, investigators have not determined if Roden has any links to any terror or survivalist groups and there is no evidence that he planned to detonate the bombs in the hospital, officials said.

Roden, who is unemployed and was arrested for menacing last year, had never made any threats against the hospital or any other organizations, Hart said.

A friend drove Roden and Roden’s boyfriend to the hospital so the boyfriend could see a doctor, said Hart. She declined to say why Roden’s partner sought hospital care.

Hospital staff asked Roden to wait in a lobby, where hospital security detained him. An initial report that an off-duty NYPD detective alerted the guards was refuted by a hospital spokeswoman Thursday.

Investigators believe Roden built the bombs, Gigante said. “They’re about the size of a grenade with a fuse,” the officer explained.

Roden is charged with weapons possession and possession of methamphetamine, among other counts.

His boyfriend and the man who drove them to the hospital have been questioned but not charged, officials said.