A North Carolina man was taken into custody outside a church after police say he was found with an arsenal of weapons, including crossbows, flamethrowers, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
It started Sunday when High Point police received a 911 call reporting an “armed person sitting in the parking lot” at Wesley Memorial Church in High Point. The caller said William S. Milliken III, 44, was wearing camouflage and appeared to be armed.
Things moved quickly from there. An off-duty officer at the church spotted Milliken almost immediately, and responding officers arrived within minutes to assist in taking him into custody without incident, Fox News reports.
After the arrest, investigators searched his vehicle and say they recovered two flamethrowers, two crossbows, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, three knives, rolls of duct tape, oxycodone pills, and a carbon dioxide-powered launcher designed to resemble a handgun.
Court documents cited by WFMY also allege additional items were found, including body armor, radios capable of scanning police frequencies, handcuff keys, a notebook containing addresses of churches, schools and public buildings, GPS coordinates, and an enlarged map of North Carolina.
Milliken faces multiple charges, including possession of a weapon of mass destruction, impersonating a law enforcement officer and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. He is being held at Guilford County Jail with bond set at $250,000.
High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III said officers intervened before the situation could escalate. “Thanks to the quick action of our officers, a man armed with weapons was taken into custody before anyone was hurt,” Cheeks said. “The officers prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating and helped ensure everyone attending church services could return home safely.”
