News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A Putnam County man has been arrested after he posted a video addressing the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives department about being in possession of explosives.
Sheriff Eddie Farris said that once it was confirmed that Levi Flatt was actually attempting to make a bomb, authorities took action. A search of Flatt’s vehicle resulted in three pipe bombs, two Molotov cocktails, a handgun ammunition, and more being recovered.
“We had a good citizen who reported this video that was on social media and reported it to the sheriff’s office,” Farris said. “We acted on it immediately and we were able to get this thing diffused before something bad happened.”
According to a press release from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, it appeared Flatt was traveling in a white Chevy work van toward the Putnam County Fair. Law enforcement was able to stop the vehicle on Jefferson Avenue.
“As Flatt was being detained, he mentioned that the explosive device that was on the video was in the van in a blue cooler,” the press release said. “Upon request, the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) bomb squad responded to the scene. The scene was then secured as the ATF and the THP bomb squad conducted their investigation.”
Farris said that Flatt is currently being detained and is facing charges from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department as well as the state. Farris said he expects Flatt will face even more charges from the U.S. Attorney and ATF at the federal level in the coming days.
“He is not a convicted felon, let me say that up front but we have had several calls, he has been in our facility before and so we’ve had several calls at his residences about gunfire going off for whatever reasons the circumstances, the last two or three trips we had been to his residence, not being able to charge or do any kind of anything with him regarding that behavior because he was on his own property. So we were aware of Mr. Flatt but did not know he would go to these types of lengths.”
