Md. Man Charged With Leaving Toilet Outside Building
TOWSON, Md. (WJZ) -- A businessman has been accused of trying to cause alarm with a decorated toilet. Now he is speaking up about why he did it.
Andrea Fujii explains the suspect's unusual court appearance.
From the Baltimore City school headquarters to the County Courthouse in Towson, bizarre toilets showed up across town, prompting police to call in the bomb squad Monday. After the toilets were found harmless, county police arrested Duane Davis, 51, on charges of leaving a phony bomb.
During a bail review, Davis went on a long tirade, surprising everyone in the courtroom.
"It was clear from his answers that Judge Steinberg thought competency might be an issue," said Assistant State's Attorney Garrett Glennow.
Davis told a judge he was making a movie and the charges against him are bogus. He claimed the toilet was just a toilet, a visual aid in his fight against racism. He also claimed President Barack Obama and Governor Martin O'Malley have sent him letters about his project.
WJZ discovered a YouTube video apparently narrated by Davis. He claims numerous business leaders and elected officials---including Governor O'Malley---are violating his civil rights.
WJZ also learned Davis was convicted of terrorist activity in a similar incident two years ago in Illinois and given two years' probation. In 1986, he was accused of threatening a public official with a false bomb. This current charge has landed him in jail and he will have to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Davis also tried suing the governor a few months ago, but the case was immediately thrown out of court.
