Did law enforcement stop a man “on his way to attempt some type of mass shooting?” Or just arrest “a normal hard working guy who did something stupid?” You can read the entire story and decide for yourself.

Benjamin Donald Johnson (43) did at least four “stupid” things. He works as a remote technician who performs soil density tests. He was on the road, working in Orlando and Florida, and decided that instead of splurging on a hotel in the vacation capital of the United States, he’d sleep in his truck. The late-model Chevrolet Silverado was inconspicuous enough, and there’s no federal law against sleeping in your car.

First, Johnson chose a Publix store parking lot. Because it’s private property, sleeping there may well be illegal. Then he did his first stupid thing. According to a coworker, Johnson “drank too much.” He likely also got high. Neither is a great idea if you’re trying to sleep in your car in a public place.

Next, Johnson did his second stupid thing. He decided to drive. He may have just been moving his truck around the parking lot. But he crashed. The Haines City Police Department reports that late Friday evening, it responded to the Publix “in reference to a vehicle crash involving a silver Chevrolet Silverado.”

That’s when Johnson did the third stupid thing. He refused to get out of his truck. Police can order you to either get out of your vehicle or stay in it while they investigate a crime, and you must comply. The purpose of this law is to let them keep the scene of a traffic stop safe.“Officers were ultimately required to physically remove Johnson from the truck.”

Police saw multiple firearms in plain view. Officers then had reasonable suspicion to search the vehicle for illegal firearms. They found cannabis and THC gummies.

How a work tool triggered a bomb scare

At this point, Johnson might have gotten off with a DUI charge and a slap on the wrist for improperly stored firearms. But then he made his fourth huge mistake. An officer heard Johnson acknowledge the existence of a ‘dirty bomb’ in his truck.” Police immediately saw a bright yellow case in the bed of the truck with a radioactive warning sticker.

A “dirty bomb” is a traditional explosive device (not a nuclear device) that’s loaded with nuclear material, such as waste from a reactor. It’s a weapon of mass destruction designed to cause widespread injuries and chaos. The police cleared the area and closed nearby roads.

According to the police, “A Florida State Fire Investigator responded and confirmed the container was emitting positive radioactivity. Through investigation with the assistance of representatives from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, ATF, and an FBI bomb technician, it was advised that the device inside of the yellow container was a Moisture Density Gauge.”

A moisture density gauge is a type of nuclear gauge that works similarly to an X-ray machine. But it’s used to test properties of soil. These gauges emit less radiation than an X-ray machine and are in no danger of exploding. This was just a work tool, and Johnson appears to have been messing with the police.

“Nuclear gauges use radioactive sources to identify the thickness, density or make up of a wide variety of material or surfaces.” — Environmental Protection Agency

Why Johnson thought it was a good idea to issue a nuclear bomb threat remains unclear. Bundrick Stephen, his coworker, wrote on Facebook, “Yes, he looks rough in this pic because he drank too much. Im definitely not condoning that. But no, he was not on a mission. He was not planning something nefarious. He simply kept his valuables in his back seat, ran his drunk mouth and probably won’t remember saying what he said, in the morning.”

You can see the Haines City PD’s press release in the post embedded below: