Police arrested a camouflaged man outside a North Carolina church and say they found flamethrowers, ammo and target lists in his truck.
Wesley Memorial Methodist Church was holding Sunday services when a witness alerted authorities to the man waiting in the parking lot, police said.
Court documents cited in the case say 44-year-old William S. Milliken III presented himself as a law enforcement officer and claimed the church visit involved a smoking violation.
The first response came from an off-duty officer at the church, and more officers arrived soon after.
Multiple officers removed Milliken’s weapons before taking him into custody, and he was later booked into Guilford County Jail. Police did not report any injuries.
High Point police listed three charges against Milliken, including impersonating a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance and possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
The search of Milliken’s truck expanded the case beyond the initial parking lot report.
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Inside the truck, officers reported finding a handgun-style CO2 launcher, Oxycodone pills, rolls of black duct tape, more than 500 rounds of ammunition, three knives, two crossbows and two flamethrowers.
Other items recovered included handcuff keys, scanner-equipped radios, GPS coordinates, body armor, a large North Carolina map and a notebook that listed addresses for schools, churches and public buildings.
The mental health detail came through WFMY’s reporting on the court documents, which described a history of mental health issues.
High Point Police Chief Curtis Cheeks III credited officers and the person who reported the danger with preventing the situation from turning violent.
“Thanks to the quick action of our officers, a man armed with weapons was taken into custody before anyone was hurt,” Cheeks said.
“The officers prevented a potentially dangerous situation from escalating and helped ensure everyone attending church services could return home safely.”
“We also want to thank the community members who recognized a potential danger and had the courage to speak up. As we work to keep High Point safe, it is crucial that we continue to look out for each other,” Cheeks said.
Investigators have not publicly released a motive or said whether Milliken had any tie to the congregation.
Days later, officers in Minnesota said another flamethrower appeared during a pursuit.
The July 1 chase in Crystal, Minnesota, escalated when police say someone in the fleeing vehicle hurled a flamethrower toward the squad cars behind it.
The pursuit began shortly after 6:30 p.m., after officers in Crystal tried to stop a vehicle suspected of being connected to burglary and weapons crimes in another city.
After the vehicle was stopped, authorities booked a man and a woman into the Hennepin County Jail on existing warrants and new allegations.
The car also yielded a gun, fentanyl and more than 100 grams of marijuana, police said.
“Because of the great work of the officers, no officers or suspects were injured in this incident and several suspects were taken to jail,” the department said in a social media post.
By mid-June, Franklin County investigators were examining another alleged homemade fire weapon, this one altered from a gasoline-filled fire extinguisher.
The probable cause statement placed the June 13 incident at a home in the 1200 block of Old County Farm Road.
Christopher M. Viehland allegedly came into the home while his ex-girlfriend was there with another man.
Authorities said Viehland had a flashlight and a fire extinguisher that had been altered and filled with gasoline.
The side of the device was marked with the words “flame thrower,” and investigators described a hose fitted with a taped-on metal pipe and cloth packed inside it.
Investigators estimated gasoline filled at least one-quarter of the container.
“Somehow, there’s gasoline that’s in that container. We don’t truly know how it works at this point in time,” Franklin County Prosecutor Matthew Becker said.
Gasoline allegedly hit Viehland’s ex-girlfriend and the area around her before the confrontation moved toward the other man.
The man suffered a head laceration and bleeding from his ear after Viehland allegedly struck him with the flashlight.
Additional cuts and scrapes were documented, along with teeth marks from a bite above the victim’s navel.
During the struggle, the ex-girlfriend made it to a nearby business, where she called 911. Viehland fled before officers arrived, leaving the modified fire extinguisher behind.
Becker said investigators had not yet determined whether the device, despite its appearance, could function as a flamethrower.
Viehland now faces counts of fourth-degree domestic assault, third-degree assault and first-degree burglary through the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
More charges could follow if the device is found capable of operating as a flamethrower, Becker said.
Court dates listed for Viehland included a June 22 bond hearing, a July 2 counsel status hearing and a July 9 preliminary hearing, while he remained held without bond.
Investigators also cited a January 2026 stay in the Franklin County Detention Facility on pending drug-related, tampering and assault charges, along with earlier charges that included felony peace disturbance, second-degree domestic assault and felony stealing.
In Pennsylvania, the alleged fire weapon appeared inside a domestic call involving ashes in a sink, cats fleeing flames and a woman holding a child.
The May 21 call sent officers to Sharpsville Gardens on E. Shenango Street shortly after 7 p.m. Christian Jenkins, 21, had allegedly been drinking before the dispute turned into cheating accusations and fires inside the home, the woman told police.
The criminal complaint identified Brandy and cooking spray as the materials Jenkins allegedly used.
The woman said Jenkins aimed the improvised “flamethrower” at her while she held a child, and also sent flames toward cats that ran from the area.
The urn containing his mother-in-law’s cremains was allegedly thrown down the stairs before Jenkins cut into the bag with a knife, scattered ashes through the home and emptied some into the sink.
Inside the sink, police found what appeared to be ash, and a large fixed-blade knife nearby appeared to have cremains on its tip.
The criminal complaint placed the urn and remaining cremains in a nearby trash tote.
After Jenkins allegedly fell asleep drunk, the woman went to a neighbor’s home and called police.
Jenkins was still asleep at the home when officers arrived and arrested him, police reported.
Jenkins faces felony counts that include risking catastrophe, endangering the welfare of children, false imprisonment and arson, along with misdemeanor counts of false imprisonment, cruelty to animals and recklessly endangering another person.
