Parts of State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek were closed to traffic and area businesses evacuated as a result of what turned out to be a bomb scare at a local bank.
According to Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dwight D’Evelyn, at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 21, YCSO received a call from employees at the Chase Bank at the northeast corner of the intersection of State Route 179 and Verde Valley School Road.
The caller said there was a man causing a disturbance inside the bank.
The man reportedly claimed he had a bomb in his van which was parked just outside the bank building. The suspect was identified as 48-year-old Michael Willis Chase of the Village of Oak Creek.
Employees and customers were able to eventually evacuate. D’Evelyn said the man broke out a window and was exhibiting strange behavior. He was wearing a poncho that covered most of his upper body, appeared to carry a cell phone and a box-like object.
Bank employees were able to activate the alarm. Deputies arrived within minutes to contain the bank and create a safety zone for pedestrians and vehicles, D’Evelyn said. Dispatch personnel notified adjacent businesses regarding the situation while directing evacuation.
Chase was booked into the Yavapai County Detention Center in Camp Verde on charges including misconduct regarding a simulated explosive device, terrorist threats, false reporting and vandalism.
Dectectives from the YCSO Criminal Investigations Bureau are conducting a follow-up investigation, which includes interviewing more than a dozen witnesses to the incident. Additional charges are possible.
During the initial containment, a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer arrived and made contact with Chase inside the bank. The officer attempted to subdue the suspect with pepper spray, which had minimal effect. A deputy arrived to assist and due to the suspect’s uncooperative actions, aggressive behavior and threat to the nearby public, Chase was tasered. The probes struck the suspect and prevented the potential of further resistance allowing deputies to successfully handcuff him and gain compliance, D’Evelyn said.
Chase’s orange colored van was parked outside the bank and the surrounding area had been evacuated as a result. The Arizona Department of Public Safety Bomb Detail arrived on the scene a while later. The YCSO armored vehicle and team assisted with personnel protection during the incident.
“No bomb/explosive device was found during a search of the suspect’s vehicle,” D’Evelyn said.
At around 5:30 p.m. that evening, all roads in the vicinity of the Chase Bank were reopened.
Luis Guevara contacted the Sedona Red Rock News and said that Guevara’s wife was conducting a transaction at the bank when the incident occurred.
“He [Chase] walked in behind her and asked for the manager,” Guevara said. “He then blew a loud whistle and warned everyone that he had a bomb on him and that his van was full of explosives. My wife ran out and called me crying. All I made out was that someone threatened her and she ran out.”
Living so close, Guevara got in his car and went to the bank. He parked up front and started walking towards the front door. He said the suspect opened the door and told him not to come any closer.
“He showed me a bag strapped to his hand and he said that it was a bomb and that his van next to me was filled with explosives enough to blow a 360 degree radius,” he said. “By that time law enforcement were arriving and I ended up in my car parked there the whole time watching him yell at law enforcement and smashing a door glass. It wasn’t more than 15 minutes before he was taken under custody.”
