PICKENS — Michael Seabrooke, the man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the Pickens County Courthouse, has been charged with possession of destructive devices not registered with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, according to federal court documents.

Seabrooke was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Columbia, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office stated.

The bombing suspect also admitted to placing “destructive devices” on the Pickens County DSS building, records state.

On Wednesday, Seabrooke appeared in federal court for a hearing after he was questioned by the FBI and ATF. The arrest warrant affidavit details how the two pipe bombs at the courthouse were attached to a propane cylinder using a belt.

The propane cylinder failed to ignite, the report said.

Damage was done to windows on the first floor of the rear of the courthouse where the devices were placed near the building’s HVAC system, officials said.

At the time of the detonation, the building was empty and no one was injured, they said.

Police said they used nearby surveillance video to identify the truck that fled the scene which lead authorities to truck’s owner.

The owner, who has not been identified by police nor charged in this case, told police Seabrooke had been in possession of the truck for the past month. The vehicle was searched with the owner’s consent where officials said they found plastic wrap consistent with the Molotov cocktail devices on top of the county’s DSS building on McDaniel Avenue, they said.

Officials say more Molotov cocktails, as well as two un-exploded pipe bombs, were also found inside.

At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, documents show Seabrooke was out on bond from an arrest on a first degree criminal sexual conduct charge in Fairfield County where he is accused of sexually assaulting a girl while on a camping trip at Lake Wateree State Park in 2016.

Additionally, Seabrooke has filed handwritten lawsuits against the Pickens County Law Enforcement Center, the PCSO, the jail, and the solicitor’s office for a wide-range of grievances including denial of right to due process and complaints about jail conditions.

A Federal judge dismissed the suits on June 28 and July 1, according to court records.

On Thursday, federal court documents show Seabrooke is seeking a mental evaluation to determine whether he is fit to defend his case. He is scheduled to return to court on Monday for a preliminary and detention hearing where the US Attorney’s Office is expected to ask the court to deny bond.

The ATF, FBI, JTTF, City of Pickens Police Department, City of Pickens Fire Department, Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office as well as the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office were all involved in the investigation.

Michael Seabrooke
https://www.sentinelprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/web1_michael-seabrooke.jpgMichael Seabrooke Courtesy photo
Bombing suspect Michael Seabrooke seeking mental health evaluation

By Kasie Strickland

kstrickland@cmpapers.com

Reach Kasie Strickland at 864-855-0355.