$2M bail in Seattle weapons arrest

SEATTLE — A Nevada man is being held on $2 million bail after his arrest near the University of Washington in a truck containing anti-government propaganda, multiple weapons and maps to three Seattle campuses.Dan Donahoe of the King County prosecutor’s office said Justin Jasper made an initial court appearance Friday afternoon.King County Judge Arthur R. Chapman said Friday that he set such a high bail for Jasper because he considered the 21-year-old a flight risk and a threat to the community.

Montana authorities say Jasper had stolen both a pickup truck and guns from a truck driver who offered him a place to stay in Butte, Mont., for the past month.

The truck driver reported on Wednesday that he returned home from a trip to find guns stolen from his residence and his pickup truck gone, said Butte-Silver Bow Undersheriff George Skuletich.At the bail hearing in Seattle, a prosecutor said authorities found six firebombs in the vehicle, plus several knives, including a machete, and several guns.They also found a recording of a podcast that appears to have Jasper expressing support for the Brazilian revolution.

Jasper was arrested Wednesday after University of Washington police were told to watch for truck that had been stolen out of Montana.

University of Washington police had seen Jasper sleeping in a truck near campus Tuesday night, the day before they received the stolen vehicle notice. University of Washington police chief John Vinson said nothing came up in their system when they checked the plates on Tuesday.

Butte authorities are looking into possible charges, but none has been filed, Skuletich said.

Vinson said the man had with him a scoped rifle, shotgun and fewer than 10 Molotov cocktails.

“We have no idea what his intentions are,” he said. “This is a very active investigation. We’re trying to rule out everything at this point.”Vinson said Jasper was not cooperating with police, but said there did not appear to be any threat to the university campus.