BROOKSVILLE — Mark L. Riley walked into the SunTrust Bank branch in downtown Brooksville with a death wish, police say. Now he's charged with threatening to use a destructive device.
Riley, 58, entered the bank at 1 E Jefferson St. about 12:30 p.m. Thursday and asked a teller if he could speak with security, according to the Brooksville Police Department. When the teller asked why, Riley said he had a bomb in his knapsack and was going to blow up the building.
Bank employees called 911, and Brooksville police detectives, already nearby, arrived. They ordered Riley to the ground, then tackled him when he reached into the backpack. Police evacuated the building and determined there was no explosive in the backpack.
In an interview with detectives, Riley said he wanted to be killed by responding officers, police said. Riley was also charged with resisting arrest. Formerly of Washington state, he gave officers an address on Margie Avenue in the Pasco area of Spring Hill. He was being held Thursday in the Hernando County Detention Center in lieu of $10,000 bail.