A Stock Island man whose license was suspended for failing to pay child support was arrested today after saying he wanted to blow up the Child Support Enforcement offices. Key West Police and the Sheriff’s Office worked together to apprehend the man quickly and safely.
53 year old Steven Hamley was in the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on South Roosevelt Boulevard at 12:30 p.m. today. He’d learned his license was suspended the night before, during a traffic stop on Stock Island, and he’d reportedly gone to DHSMV to try to get it reinstated. While there, he was told it had been suspended for failure to pay child support. When he heard that, Hamley reportedly told the clerk he would like to blow up the Child Support Enforcement offices.
DHSMV employees told him to leave their office. He left, then returned a few minutes later and apologized for saying it. They asked him to leave again and then called Key West Police to report the threatening comment.
Key West Police responded to an address on Flagler Avenue which their dispatch had listed as the Child Support Enforcement offices. People working there told the officers Child Support Enforcement had moved to the Florida State building in Marathon. At that point, the Sheriff’s Office was notified and deputies responded to the Florida State building in Marathon to ensure those offices were safe.
Deputies removed employees from the building and checked it for any suspicious packages or explosives. Finding none, they allowed everyone back inside.
In the meantime, Key West Police had obtained Hamley’s identity and put it out, along with his picture, to all law enforcement officers in the county in an attempt to find him. Sheriff’s dispatchers were able to track down a cell phone number for Hamley and gave the number to Detective Sgt. Donald Catala. Sgt. Catala called Hamley on the phone and asked him if he was all right. He asked Hamley to meet him somewhere so they could talk. Hamley told Sgt. Catala he was at the intersection of Eagle Avenue and State Road A1A.
Hamley was apprehended at that intersection just 45 minutes after initially making his threatening comments. He reportedly again apologized to officers as they arrested him. He was taken to jail by Key West Police Officer Julio Gomez. He was charged with making a bomb threat.