PORT ANGELES — Police were told it was a pipe bomb, but a man claims that the device found in his home last week was nothing more than a plastic tube containing pennies, paper, a dead battery and two wires.
Joseph P. Ciochon, 51, told authorities that it was a “toy,” later adding that he wanted the device to look like a bomb in order to scare his girlfriend, according to court documents.
Ciochon was charged Friday in Clallam County Superior Court with second-degree assault, intimidation or harassment with an explosive device and possession of a controlled substance.
His arraignment is set for Friday.
After finding the device last Tuesday, police evacuated homes adjacent to his residence at 309 W. Forest Ave., and blocked nearby road access for roughly 12 hours.
The State Patrol’s bomb squad destroyed the device.
Port Angeles police Detective Jason Viada said it remains unknown if the device was a pipe bomb or just a fake.
“The bomb squad was not able to determine that for absolute certainty before they disrupted it,” he said.
Viada said the device looked like it could have been a pipe bomb.
He said whether it was really a bomb or not doesn’t affect charges filed against Ciochon since he still allegedly threatened another person with what appeared to be an explosive device.
State law says someone can be charged with “intimidation or harassment with an explosive device” if they “exhibit a device designed . . . to convey the appearance of an explosive or improvised device . . .” and threaten someone with it.
Police were told of the pipe bomb while investigating a shooting at Ciochon’s residence.
Ciochon arrived Tuesday morning at Olympic Medical Center with a gunshot wound to his right leg.
He told authorities he shot himself while cleaning a .44-caliber handgun. His roommate, who drove him to the hospital, told the Peninsula Daily News the same.
But after interviewing Ciochon’s girlfriend, police say that story doesn’t appear to pass muster.
The 28-year-old woman told police that their relationship had deteriorated and Ciochon was making threats to shoot her for about a week, according to court documents.
On Tuesday morning, she said Ciochon threatened her with the device, saying he would place it under her car.
She told police that Ciochon put the device down and picked up the gun.
The woman said he held the gun to her head. He then pulled it away from her head and somehow shot himself in the leg, she told police.
“She thought that maybe he was firing a warning shot during the dispute,” Viada said.
The detective said it’s unclear why the shot was fired or if he intended to shoot himself in the leg.
But he said police don’t believe he was cleaning the gun at the time.
Ciochon remained in Clallam County jail Saturday on $75,000 bail.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
