WEST, Texas — A judge in West Texas has ordered that a mental health evaluation be done for a former paramedic who’s accused of possessing bomb-making material.
The Waco Tribune-Herald reports Bryce Ashley Reed remains in the McLennan County jail following his arrest May 9 by federal agents. A judge signed an order Tuesday requiring the 31-year-old Reed to be evaluated for competency, sanity and overall mental condition.
Reed was a paramedic in the town of West, where a fertilizer plant explosion killed 15 and injured about 200. He’s said that he helped evacuate residents before the April 17 blast. Authorities have not linked him to the explosion.
Reed was dropped as paramedic for West EMS two days after the incident.
His attorney, Jonathan Sibley, could not be immediately reached for comment.