West, TX – A Texas paramedic who helped evacuate people on the night of the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West has been arrested and charged with possessing a destructive device.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
It’s not clear whether the charges are related to the fire or the explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. last month that killed 14 people.
McLennan County Jail booking clerk Brandy Gann says paramedic Bryce Reed arrived at the jail at about 2:40 a.m. Friday and was released to federal agents before 8 a.m.
A fire erupted at the plant the night of April 17 and a massive explosion rocked the town of West about 20 minutes later.
Investigators have largely treated the incident as an industrial accident. But Texas law enforcement officials also launched a criminal investigation Friday.
Recent commentaries on this story have claimed that the area where this happened had no zoning laws. (That is they purposely built this factory near homes and schools.) Texas has no fire code and the state prohibits localities from passing their own fire codes. (This explains the lack of protective walls.) The state requires no liability insurance. (So now we know about the $1 million dollar policy.)
Texas leads the nation in fatalities due to workplace accidents.