One arrested after explosion that rattled TVs and was heard for miles beyond Hopkinton

HOPKINTON − A 20-year-old Hopkinton man faces a felony charge after the police allege he detonated an explosion Sunday that rattled residents and was heard in surrounding towns.

Calls immediately started pouring into the police station after the 5:26 p.m. explosion, Hopkinton Police Chief Mark Carrier said.

"We probably had about 100 calls in a short amount of time," Carrier said. Callers were asking, "What just happened? What was that big boom?"

The impact was felt at the police station, where it shook a television set in the dispatch center, and was heard in Westerly, Charlestown and Richmond, according to Carrier.

With help from the Ashaway Fire Department, the police tracked the likely source of the boom to 34 Clarks Falls Road, where they talked to a group of young adults inside a residence playing video games, according to Carrier.

They initially denied involvement, but after more investigation, the police returned, interviewed them again and arrested one of the men, according to Carrier.

He was charged with one count of detonating a device, arraigned before a justice of the peace and released on $1,000 personal recognizance, Carrier said. He has a felony screening next month in District Court, the chief said.

The Hopkinton police and the state Fire Marshal's Office are still investigating and trying to determine exactly what caused such a loud explosion, according to Carrier. He said others could still be charged.

Carrier said the good news is, that nobody was injured and no property was damaged.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Hopkinton Explosion: One arrested after boom rattles surrounding towns