THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 6, 1994 TAG: 9410060481
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: JON FRANK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Explosives experts had to deal with at least two troubling realities at the annual bomb squad refresher course for special agents of the Virginia State Police at Camp Pendleton on Wednesday.
On one hand, there have been 56 bomb threats in Southeastern Virginia through September, up about 15 percent over last year. And 16 explosive devices were found.
On the other, one of their colleagues - state police canine handler Vernon L. Richards - is allegedly responsible for planting five, or almost one-third of the devices.
``You work with someone and you think you know him,'' said Lt. Frank Williams, chief arson investigator for the state police and director of the refresher course, attended by about 25 special agents this week. ``Things happen sometimes, and you just can't explain it.''
Williams said he was well acquainted with Richards, a 14-year state police veteran who spent the last eight years as a handler of bomb-sniffing dogs. Twice Richards attended the refresher course to demonstrate how dogs are used to ferret out bombs.
Never, said Williams, did he notice any behavior by Richards that raised suspicions the trooper might plant explosive devices.
``Basically, it is a situation that is an aberration,'' Williams said. ``They occur sometimes.''
Williams and the other state police explosives experts would say no more about Richards, who is in the Virginia Beach City Jail, awaiting trial in Hampton on charges that he planted three explosive devices at the Hampton General District Court Building on Sept. 13.
Richards also is charged with placing an explosive device at the Hampton Coliseum Mall on June 17. This device was described by police as a training charge used by the military to simulate the impact of an artillery shell. He allegedly also planted an explosive device at Lynnhaven Mall in Virginia Beach on July 16.
Richards found all but one of the devices after bomb alerts were issued, the buildings were evacuated, and bomb squads were called in. Richards was aided by his black Labrador, Master Blaster. Later, Richards and his dog were hailed as heroes.
Police have said Richards has confessed to building and planting the devices. He is scheduled to appear on Oct. 18 in Hampton General District Court, which is located in the same building where he allegedly planted three bombs.
On Wednesday, the bomb experts would not describe the devices Richards allegedly constructed. But Tammy Van Dame, state police spokeswoman, said the devices all had ``the potential to do harm.''
Van Dame stressed that Richards was not a member of the 50-member explosives disposal team, which is composed only of state police special agents, not regular troopers.
The team's other 25 members will go through the in-service school next week, Van Dame said.
Phil Foster, who heads the Hampton Roads division of the bomb squad, said his team answered calls at Scope last week and at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk on Monday. No explosive devices were found at either location, but evacuations were ordered.
Foster said the number of threats ebbs and flows, and sometimes appears to be tied to major news events.
``Our biggest increase was right after the Gulf War,'' Foster said.
``Then there was a lull. Now we are going back up. We are seeing a general increase in all respects.''
In 1993, there were about 200 calls statewide, said Williams, with about 25 explosive devices found. ILLUSTRATION: 25 explosives experts attend refresher course at Beach
LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff
Special Agent Larry Bishop of the Virginia State Police points to
Andros, a bomb-retrieval device, at Camp Pendleton Wednesday.
by CNB