Ryan Wesley Routh, a man with a history of dangerous behavior, was arrested in Greensboro, North Carolina back in 2002 on charges of possessing a weapon of mass destruction. The arrest occurred during a tense police standoff where Routh had barricaded himself in his roofing business office after being pulled over for driving with a revoked license. According to the now-retired Greensboro cop, Tracy Fulk, who was involved in the arrest, Routh was initially cooperative but then drove off to his place of work and locked himself inside.
During the standoff, it was discovered that Routh had a binary explosive fitted with a 10-inch detonation cord and a blasting cap – components of an explosive device – in his possession. Fulk, who hid behind her vehicle during the incident, recalled pacing back and forth inside his office while occasionally looking out the window but never pointing a gun at anyone. Routh eventually surrendered to police after hours of negotiation.
Fulk was surprised to learn that Routh is the same man accused of attempting to shoot former President Donald Trump in 2021 while he played golf on his Florida course. Despite describing Routh as “polite” during his arrest, she acknowledged that the charges now make sense given his previous behavior.
Another one of Routh’s neighbors, Josh Patrick, recalled multiple unsettling encounters with him in March, calling him a “high-risk person.” Patrick noted that there were warning signs and red flags indicating that Routh might eventually attack someone. However, former employees at Routh’s United Roofing company described him as a good family man who was not afraid to voice his opinions.
Despite this apparent change in behavior, some former employees acknowledged that Routh had a history of reckless actions, such as the 2002 standoff where he threatened to blow up the entire Greensboro Police Department. The police reports documenting these incidents serve as evidence of his propensity for dangerous and unpredictable behavior over the years.
