A Martinsville man faces felony charges after allegedly telling a Virginia State Police trooper he had Molotov cocktails in his vehicle during an encounter Monday in Henry County.
According to Virginia State Police, a trooper stopped at 12:39 p.m. Monday to check on a 2015 Toyota Tacoma that was improperly parked near the 800 block of Dupont Road.
Police said the driver, later identified as Morgan Vincent Chambers, 32, of Martinsville, was outside the vehicle when the trooper arrived. As the trooper exited his patrol vehicle, Chambers got back into the truck and placed his hands on the steering wheel.
When the trooper asked why the vehicle was stopped in the roadway, Chambers allegedly replied, “I need to be arrested.” When asked why, police said Chambers pointed to the passenger-side floorboard and said he had Molotov cocktails and wanted to detonate one.
The trooper took Chambers into custody without incident.
As a precaution, authorities closed the road and cleared the area while the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation was notified and the Bomb Unit responded. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office and Henry County Department of Public Safety assisted at the scene.
State police said several suspicious items were recovered from the vehicle.
Chambers was taken to the Henry County Adult Detention Center and charged with possession of firebombs, explosive materials or hoax explosive devices, and attempted commission of a felony.
The investigation remains ongoing.
