Dyersburg Police attempting to arrest a man for failing to report to jail found a homemade device thought to be bomb after the resident's failed suicide attempt on Friday.

Bradley Forsythe, 34, of the 700 block of St. John Avenue, on Saturday was transferred to Western Mental Health Institute in Bolivar after spending the night a Dyersburg Regional Medical Center.

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At 9:30 a.m. Friday, police responded to a call from the address, where a man told officers Forsythe was attempting to move furniture from the home despite a court order not to. Acting on the tip, police drove to the home to serve the warrant on Forsythe for failure to report to jail.

Upon arrival, Forsythe was found in the darkened downstairs basement, where he was threatening to kill himself. Police, standing on the steep stairway, attempted to talk to Forsythe. When the suspect became silent, police entered the basement and found Forsythe had collapsed on his knees, his neck caught between cable wrapped around his neck and tied to opposite walls.

Police cut the cord and were able to resuscitate Forsythe, who began to fight as he was transported to the hospital.

As other officers arrived, the fake bomb - called a possible "improvised explosive device " by police - was noticed on the floor. Wrapped and connected to a leather belt, the design was reported to the Memphis Police Department's explosive ordnance disposal unit. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms office in Jackson was alerted.

The Dyersburg Emergency Services mobile command post was parked a half-block away and police cordoned off a four-block area around the house. Residents of neighboring houses were evacuated for the threat.

By 3 p.m., Memphis bomb experts had X-rayed the device and determined it not to be an explosive. An unknown liquid was found inside, which was buried in Forsythe's back lawn and packed with inert material, to which a detonation charge was attached. Shortly before 5 p.m., police exploded the munition and took samples of the remains to send to a lab for identification.

Police Lt. Steve Isbell said ATF agents will confer with federal authorities to determine what federal charges may be filed against Forsythe. Until then, Isbell said, local charges will wait.

A bench warrant for Forsythe's arrest was issued in Dyersburg City Court on June 15, when he failed to report to the Dyer County Jail to begin serving a 90-day sentence for a domestic assault charge from May 23. Forsythe had appeared in city court on June 11 to face a charge of forgery after he had attempted to pass checks written on Dyersburg Children's Clinic at The Smoke Stop on June 9. Forsythe waived his rights to a preliminary hearing in order for his case to go before the Dyer County Grand Jury. He was released on his own recognizance.

The suspected bomb incident is the second time since December that Forsythe and police dealt with an explosive threat.

On Dec. 6, 2003, police were called to the St. John address to find Forsythe threatening to detonate explosives before the two-hour standoff ended with his arrest.

On March 2, 2004, Forsythe entered a guilty plea on charges of domestic assault and resisting arrest. He served 30 days of an 11-month, 29-day suspended sentence for the crimes.

Yesterday

Evening admitted here stayed voernight

Transferred to Western

Western Mental Health Institute