Sheriff’s Office: Man arrested July 17 with explosive device poses no threat to public

By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter MJ Miller

The Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office says there’s no threat to the public in the wake of an incident last week during which a man was found passed out in a Northport parking lot with an assault rifle and an improvised explosive device.

Briar Chance Wilson, 27, was arrested Monday, July 17, outside the Bristol Park Publix located on Alabama Highway 69 North near Lake Tuscaloosa after a business in the shopping complex called 911 and reported there was a man unresponsive in a car.

When deputies arrived, they found Wilson unconscious in the car after he’d overdosed on drugs. In the car with him was an AR-15 and tannerite.

Tannerite is sold as separate components that, when mixed and loaded into a container, becomes explosive if hit with a high-velocity round. It’s commonly used for firearms practice and is legal to purchase because it’s sold as separate components and combined by the buyer later. It’s perfectly legal for most people to possess the materials as long as it remains unmixed until just before use.

In Wilson’s case, the tannerite was mixed in a 16-ounce glass jar that also included staples and nails. Investigators also found a small amount of methamphetamine in Wilson’s vehicle.

Wilson was taken to the hospital, where he was treated and arrested after his release. He was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of a destructive device and placed in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $10,000 bond.