Suspect charged for possessing explosive device after shutting down I-90
Nov 28, 2024, 1:14 PM
Bellevue police arrested a man they believe was trying to ignite an explosive device on I-90. (Photo courtesy of Bellevue Police)
(Photo courtesy of Bellevue Police)
A Washington man who was arrested after allegedly attempting to detonate a homemade bomb on Interstate 90 (I-90) last month has officially been charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The incident started when Bellevue police officers went to Enatai Beach Park on Oct. 12 at 12 p.m. after it was reported that two men were sleeping in a running car. The car the men were in was a stolen black Mercedes with drug paraphernalia littered about.
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When police approached the car, the suspect, Sokphana Soeung, fled, driving over spike strips that punctured all four tires of the car in the process.
Both Bellevue Police and Washington State Patrol (WSP) followed the car in what was described as a “slow speed chase.” The car eventually limped onto I-90 in the westbound direction.
His speed never exceeded more than 10 miles per hour, according to WSP. The chase ended with a PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) maneuver on the highway in Mercer Island.
“At that point, Soeung jumped from the car holding a black ball device in one hand and a lighter in the other. Ultimately, police tackled Soeung, and he dropped the ball-shaped item and the lighter,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. “An investigation revealed that the ball-shaped item was a tennis ball filled with explosive powder with a fuse. In the car, law enforcement found a second explosive device made with sparklers taped together.”
The Bellevue Police Department released this photo of the explosive device a suspect allegedly tried to ignite on Interstate 90 on Saturday. (Photo: Bellevue Police Dept.)
The bomb reportedly had 50 grams of explosive material within it.
A second person in the car, who has not been identified, jumped out of the vehicle before being taken into custody by police. The passenger claimed he didn’t know about the explosives. He was found with 50 fentanyl pills on his person.
In an interview with investigators, he said that he and Soeung had just smoked fentanyl and were planning on driving to Seattle, approximately 10 miles away.
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The investigation shut down I-90 for an extensive period of time until the bomb squad on the scene determined there was no danger to the public or the I-90 bridge itself.
Soeung, 42, has been in state custody since his arrest. Unlawful possession of a destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Soeung, who already had prior warrants for his arrest, is being held on a $750,000 bond.
