Man drives through security gate at FBI’s South Side office

An Ohio man who was pulled over by police on the South Side Tuesday morning told officers he had a bomb in his truck and drove through the security gate at the FBI’s Pittsburgh office a few blocks away.

Thomas Richard Ross, 48, of New Waterford was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and other charges after the incident that prompted a response from the city bomb squad.

However, no explosives were found.

“We’re trying to find out the motivations behind this,” said Gregory Heeb, supervisory special agent for the Pittsburgh’s FBI division, adding that the FBI is investigating “his mental state and history.” Pittsburgh police said Ross was driving a dump truck in the wrong lane toward a motorcycle officer and narrowly missed hitting him on South 22nd Street around 10:45 a.m. The officer chased the truck through eight or nine red lights on East Carson Street, police said. Ross finally turned onto South 33rd Street and pulled over near the FBI building in the 3300 block of East Carson.

More officers arrived and tried calming Ross, who said he had a bomb.

Police said Ross appeared as though he was going to surrender, but then accelerated his truck and rammed it through a set of security gates, past a security booth, and through a security arm and a

retractable, wheel-high barrier.

“When the officer approached the vehicle and was briefly speaking with the driver, the driver said he would ram the gate of the FBI building, and he did just that,” Agent Heeb said.

“Obviously, ramming our building wasn’t a smart idea,” he said.

The bomb squad was called to the scene, but did not find a bomb, Agent Heeb said. The truck was registered in Ohio, and Ross wasn’t armed, police said.

Ross was taken into custody and transported to UPMC Presbyterian with minor injuries. Right after his hospital visit, police said, Ross tried to escape before officers could escort him into a cruiser. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

The FBI on Tuesday evening announced that Ross would also face federal charges after causing what is expected to exceed $1,000 in property damage at its facility.

The FBI charged him with damaging government property or contracts, which, if damages exceed $1,000, carries a fine of up to $250,000 and/or 10 years’ imprisonment.

He was also charged by the FBI with causing damage to buildings or property within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, which carries a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 20 years.

Ross was convicted in January 2000 for aggravated assault and fleeing or eluding police and was sentenced to three years’ probation. He also previously pleaded guilty to drug charges and retail theft.