ALBERT LEA, Minn. – the Freeborn County Government Center was evacuated after police discovered what looked like a pipe bomb in a locked gunbox. Officers themselves had brought the gunbox into building after recovering it in a car in a traffic stop. After the box was opened, all non-essential employees were told to evacuate. A bomb squad from St. Paul, 110 miles away, took possession of the box. This began about 1:25 p.m. An all-clear was issued 5-1/2 hours later. The police account if what happened:
> Officers attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding on the Northeast Side near Hammer Road and Sorenson Road.
> The driver failed to yield to the officer’s emergency lights and siren.
> The vehicle proceeded a few blocks toward the airport, finally pulling onto Paradise Road and coming to a stop.
> The driver was arrested for driving after revocation and fleeing.
> Officers searched the vehicle and located the locked gunbox.
> Officer took the gunbox to the Government Center, obtained a search warrant, and opened the box. Inside was a bag of suspected controlled substance and what appeared to be a pipe bomb.
The driver, Adam Alan Penhollow, 48, of Albert Lea, was booked on numerous charges:
> Possessing an explosive device.
> Fleeing in a motor vehicle.
> Possessing methamphetamine.
> Refusing a blood test for alcohol or drugs.
> Being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition.
> Driving after evocation.
Penhollow. From a wanted poster in an earlier case.
Court record
Penhollow had a drugs case in Olmsted County in Rochester. Those charges included drug possession, committing a crime with a bullet-resistant vest, and driving with a suspended license. He also has faced several counts of drugs and weapons charges in Mower County in Austin. These included drugs possession; owning, possessing; operating a short-barrel shotgun; drunken driving; speeding; no driver’s license; no proof of insurance.