BEDFORD – A Bedford man is facing a felony charge of arson after Bedford Police officers responded to the 1000 block of T Street at 11:51 p.m. on Friday, July 26.
Christopher Brown reported there were people in the loft area of his home.
When police arrived they spoke to 45-year-old Christopher Brown, who told police it wasn’t people in the loft but a squirrel. The officers then left.
A short time later, at 12:18 a.m. Brown called 911 again, reporting his house was on fire.
When police and firefighters arrived they found flames and smoke emitting from the home. Brown was holding his dog and a green lighter. Brown told police he had heard people inside so he lit a candle.
Brown was asked to move away so firefighters could extinguish the fire.
Brown told police he had signed some sort of agreement to be medically treated and that something was put in his body, causing it to shut down.
When asked what happened to the candle, Brown replied, “It was just me. I gave them fair
warning it was going to burn. They needed to get out of my house.”
Brown said he told the people who he believed were in his house to leave and release his family. He then admitted to putting the candle near some clothing.
He again told police, “He asked them for hours and hours to please get out or he would set his own house on fire and call the fire department.” He stated, “They weren’t going to come down, but then deceived they were going to.”
Brown was detained and requested his father be present. He was read his Miranda Rights. He then refused to speak to the police and requested a lawyer.
But later Brown changed his story and said he had fallen asleep in the living room and woke to find the power off. He lit a candle next to some clothing, starting the fire.
He told police he had recently started taking a new medication that was causing him to have
nightmares. He said he took it for a week but stopped due to the nightmares, but recently had resumed
taking it. He later told me that this medication was Gabapentin.
While officers were speaking with Brown, his mood and tone changed several times and he also became irritated and borderline aggressive toward his father at one point.
Brown was arrested on a charge of arson.
