Huntsville bomb squad called to Madison apartment complex

The item that Madison police officers were concerned was a pipe bomb. It was determined to be non-explosive. (Contributed/Madison Police Department)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – A welfare check on a unit at a Madison apartment complex in the early morning hours of Wednesday, March 11 yielded one illegal weapons possession charge and a call to the bomb squad unit with the Huntsville Police Department.

Lt. Terrell Cook with the Madison Police Department confirmed that the Madison Police Department received a “welfare check” call at around 2:30 a.m. March 11 about an individual at Carrington Cove Apartments near the intersection of Shelton Road and Madison Boulevard.

Capt. John Stringer said the call stemmed from a person who knew 25-year-old Alex Cameron Berryhill and was concerned that Berryhill had overdosed on some sort of drug.

In the process of executing the search warrant at Carrington Cove, officers found an illegal short-barrel rifle. Berryhill was then booked into the Madison County Jail at 5:42 a.m. on possession of a sawed-off rifle/shotgun. His bond was set at $2,500.

“Officers also discovered what appeared to be a “pipe bomb” and contacted the Huntsville Police Department Bomb Unit to safely remove the device,” an official release from the Madison Police Department stated.  “Neighbors were notified of the suspicious device and agreed to leave the area.”

The release, and Lt. Darryl Lawson of the Huntsville Police Department, confirmed the item was not explosive. Lawson said the HPD’s bomb unit services much of North Alabama.

Possession of a sawed-off shotgun is a Class C felony and is punishable by 1–10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

“We appreciate the assistance provided by the HPD Bomb Unit and the cooperation of the residents in the complex,” the Madison Police force’s release stated.