Midway bomb threat suspect taken to jail
A Columbia man accused of making a bomb threat at the Midway Travel Plaza on Highway 40 was booked into Boone County Jail Monday.
Torrence D. Simmons allegedly tried to start a fire and was asked to leave Midway on Jan. 21, said Detective Tom O’Sullivan with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. Simmons told authorities he had an explosive device in his backpack and that he was waiting for deputies. Once authorities arrived, they were able to detain Simmons by using a shotgun to shoot a beanbag at the man.
After evaluating the backpack, the Columbia Police Deparment bomb squad decided it did not pose a threat, and there was no bomb inside.
Simmons was taken to the hospital for evaluation after the incident and was released on Monday, when he was taken to the Boone County Jail.
Simmons was arrested on suspicion of making a terrorist threat and resisting arrest. He is being held on a $3,000 bond.
