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OGDEN -- Investigators have confirmed explosive materials were found inside the home of Matthew Stewart over the weekend.
On Saturday, investigators came across some sort of bomb while searching Stewart's home. The materials could not be removed, so officers detonated the materials Saturday evening.
"It was a really big boom," said neighbor Kevin Wood. "I definitely heard it, and you knew it was something more than just the backfire of a car, or something falling over."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says explosive "materials" were found inside the home of Matthew Stewart over the weekend, but not a bomb.
An ATF spokesman out of Denver told Fox 13 the materials found would not be classified as a bomb.
Bomb experts ordered nearby neighbors to evacuate after they found a suspicious device in a closet in Stewart's home on Saturday. Investigators feared the device would explode if they tried to move it.
"There was a device fashioned in a way that concerned those who dealt with it," Smith said.
The device was detonated in place. "I can't tell you if it was a bomb," Smith said.
It is unknown at this time how the explosive device will play into the charges that Stewart potentially faces.
It didn't really shake the ground, I would say, but you kind of felt it on your inside.
–Kevin Wood
Police as they were trying to rescue their injured comrades when they were shot, the Weber County attorney said Monday.
Dee Smith also confirmed that investigators found a photograph of Matthew Stewart inside his Ogden home in which he appears to be dressed as a terrorist.
"A number of individuals were wounded as they were giving aid and trying to remove fallen officers from the scene," Smith said during a news conference.
Despite rumors, he said he has seen no evidence to suggest any of the six officers were wounded by "friendly fire" or by fellow officers.
Smith also said his office plans to seek the death penalty once it charges Stewart. He is being investigated for capital murder and eight counts of attempted aggravated murder, in addition to cultivation of marijuana, but he has not yet been charged with anything.
Smith said he could not yet explain exactly what happened on Jan. 5 when members of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force served a search warrant at Stewart's home, 3268 Jackson Ave. Officer Jared Francom died hours later of injuries he received when he was shot. Five other officers were hospitalized.
"This is a massive investigation. There were a lot of shots fired. There were a lot of victims," he said.
"It appears to be a recent photo, based on his current beard size, and it depicted an individual dressed as a terrorist with some kind of bomb device," the county attorney said.
He declined, however, to speculate on any possible motive for the shooting.
Law enforcers have been at Stewart's house, 3268 Jackson Ave., since the night of Jan. 5 when members of the Weber- Morgan Narcotics Strike Force where shot at while attempting to serve a warrant.
When backup officers arrived, at least one of them was also shot. By the time Stewart, 37, was taken into custody, six police officers had been shot. Ogden police officer Jared Francom was killed. His funeral is scheduled for Wednesday.
Two officers, Michael Rounkles and Shawn Grogan, remained hospitalized Monday in fair condition at McKay- Dee Hospital Center. Kasey Burrell was listed in critical condition. Weber County Sheriff's Sgt. Nate Hutchinson and Roy police officer Jason VanderWarf have been released from the hospital.
Stewart reportedly remained hospitalized Monday with non- life threatening injuries.
Since the incident, investigators have had Stewart's house blocked off with yellow police tape and have been combing through his house collecting evidence.
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Written by Pat Reavy and Shara Park
