Bomb Squad Called to Home of the Man Accused of Spitting on a Cop

It’s been a rollercoaster 2013 for 59-year-old Steven Farrell who is accused of spitting on an officer after an incident in January. On Sunday, Farrell eluded police and had the Milwaukee County Bomb Squad in his front yard, according to the Menomonee Falls Police Department.

According to the MFPD reports:

At roughly 2 p.m. Sunday, Farrell nearly struck a police officer with his vehicle while the officer was standing on the roadway during a different traffic stop. Farrell then fled at a high rate of speed and eluded officers by increasing speed and making several turns. He led police to his residence on the Roger Avenue.

Farrell attempted to run into his home through the rear door, but officers took him into custody after he resisted arrest. The investigation revealed Farrell may have been intoxicated. Officers found several open cans of beer and hard lemonade in his vehicle. He also failed sobriety tests and was transported for a blood draw.

A little later…

Police interviewed a relative of the Farrell at 2:40 p.m. that day, and she reported various items of drug paraphernalia inside his home. She also told police she discovered what she thought was a homemade explosive device in his home on Roger Avenue.

The device consisted of a plastic bottle attached to the back of a door with electrical wiring running from it to a keypad. The door had a sign with a warning "to run" if the device were triggered. The relative said Farrell made comments in the past “that he wished to construct mailbox bombs.”

Milwaukee's Bomb Squad was then dispatched to the home, but they determined the contraption was not a bomb.

For the past month, Farrell has been in several run-ins with local law enforcement. He was cited for disorderly conduct earlier in January after his neighbor called in a noise complaint. Police say he started shouting when they arrived and they requested he turn down his music. Police arrested him for disorderly conduct, and during the booking process he spit on one of the officers, according to police. He is facing a felony charge for discharging bodily fluid on a public safety employee.

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Earlier that same day, officers had been called to Village Park when the man got into an argument with his wife.

Four days after those two incidents, Farrell was arrested for bail jumping after contacting his neighbor – who lodged the initial noise complaint with police. According to MFPD reports, he attempted to contact the neighbor multiple times both in person and by leaving a note at her door between Jan. 11 and Jan. 12. 

When police arrived at the Farrell’s home in response to that call, he was also said to be consuming alcohol. Both contacting the witness and consuming alcohol were violations of his bail. He was arrested and transported to the Waukesha County Jail. 

On Feb. 8, Farrell’s neighbor called police after he began yelling at her around 1:06 p.m. Squads reported to the scene shortly after, but he had left the scene prior to their arrival, according to reports from the MFPD.

Farrell later returned, and was taken into custody for bail jumping. The man had consumed alcohol, which was a violation of his bail. He was also in possession of narcotics and drug paraphernalia, according to the report.

In total, Farrell is now charged with:  

• six counts of felony bail jumping,
• one felony count of discharging bodily fluid on a public safety officer,
• two felony counts of possession of narcotic drugs,
• one count of  possession of paraphernalia,
• one felony count of eluding an officer
• one count of resisting an officer
• one count for misdemeanor disorderly conduct. 

He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Feb. 28.  

He is now being held in the Waukesha County Jail on a $15,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is at 8:15 a.m. Feb. 28.