Overview
- Officers contacted Benjamin Donald Johnson, 43, after a crash at a Davenport Publix and removed him from his truck when he refused to exit.
- While detained, Johnson claimed there was a “dirty bomb” in the vehicle, and officers found a locked yellow container with a radioactive label that emitted detectable radiation.
- Investigators identified the device as a moisture density gauge, a legitimate soil-testing tool described as less radioactive than a medical X-ray.
- Police shut nearby roads and called bomb and fire investigators, then transferred the container to the Florida Bureau of Radioactive Materials for further inspection.
- A search of the truck uncovered firearms, tactical gear and drugs, and Johnson was booked on hoax weapon of mass destruction, false bomb report, resisting and drug charges as the investigation continues.