Police: Bryant man found with bombs
North Little Rock police on Thursday arrested a man who they say had two pipe bombs, a gun, body armor and drugs in his vehicle during a traffic stop, according to an arrest report.
Around 11 p.m. Thursday, officers tried to pull over a Dodge Nitro driven by a man later identified as Christian Barrow, 43, of Bryant because the Texas license plate on the vehicle was registered to a Ford pickup and had tags that had expired in 2001.
Barrow did not stop immediately, driving slowly before stopping in the parking lot of the Hilltop Inn at 3100 Main St., where officers noticed a box of ammunition in the glove box as Barrow got the vehicle’s title. Barrow is a convicted felon and cannot legally own ammunition.
As Barrow stepped out, police saw an empty holster on his hip, which he told police he used to carry a flare gun, which officers found in the pocket on the driver’s door. A flare gun can potentially be used to fire 12-gauge shotgun shells and is classified by law as a firearm, which felons cannot legally own.
Police also detained and later arrested Jenny Martin, 41, of Sherwood, a passenger in the vehicle.
While searching the vehicle for weapons, officers located a soft body armor vest similar to armor used by police, which Barrow cannot legally own. Later, Barrow said he got the armor a while ago from a woman near Camp Robinson.
The search also revealed two suspected pipe bombs wrapped in tape and with a fuse protruding. After clearing the area, an explosive ordnance disposal team confirmed that the bombs were intended to produce dangerous shrapnel on detonation and secured them.
Police then found a loaded Heckler & Koch 9mm pistol and bags containing about 40 grams of suspected methamphetamine. The search also turned up a digital scale, empty baggies, a glass pipe and 24 $100 bills.
Barrow is charged with multiple felonies — two counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons and one each of simultaneous possession of drugs and a gun, criminal acts involving explosives, criminal possession of body armor, methamphetamine possession, forgery and drug paraphernalia possession.
He was held Friday night in the Pulaski County jail, an online inmate roster showed.
Martin faces felony charges of possessing methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. She was held in the Pulaski County jail Friday night in lieu of a $15,000 bond, the inmate roster showed.