In the latest drug bust, officers from the Rolla Police Department, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, South-Central Drug Task Force and the U.S. Forest Service arrested a man suspected of running a meth lab in his home.
Thomas E. Bradley was arrested and transported to the Phelps County Jail, where he is being held on a charge of manufacturing a controlled substance, according to RPD Lt. Jason Smith.
Bradley, 48, of St. James, was the only person officers found in the home Wednesday.
Officers found equipment allegedly used to manufacture methamphetamine on the premises, said RPD Chief Mark Kearse. Kearse added officers found what they believe is evidence of methamphetamine in the house.
The initial sweep of the house on County Road 1130 by the RPD SWAT team took only a matter of minutes.
“Police, search warrant, don’t move!” could be heard over the sound of officers entering in the house.
It was Vince Giacolone, an officer with the Volunteers in Police Service, on the speaker of a Rolla Police Department vehicle letting whoever was inside the home know that the SWAT team was coming through the door.
According to SWAT team members, Bradley immediately surrendered as the team made its way into the home.
The SWAT team entered the house with other officers fanning out across the property, checking and securing two trailers.
After it was finished, SWAT team members came out, marveling at how smoothly the entry and search went.
Less than one hour before, Rolla officer Luke Kearse was going over the tactics of how the SWAT team was to enter the house.
Officer Kearse, who heads up the SWAT team, couldn’t help but crack a few jokes during the meeting Wednesday, even though what he was reviewing with the assembled officers was deadly serious.
Slipping in a few off-hand comments, Kearse ran down different scenarios with the officers. What if this door was blocked? What if there are multiple people in the house? What if the suspects start shooting?
These were all scenarios officers had to run through — no scenario wasn’t considered by the police before going in.
“They are either very easy or very hard, but you get prepared for the hard one,” RPD Chief Kearse said on the way back to Rolla.
