Washington psychiatrist under investigation for making bomb threat

May 14, 2014

A Tacoma psychiatrist accused of threatening to blow up an insurance office said he might have made the threat, but doesn’t remember doing it because of an anger-induced blackout.

Dr. Said Farzad was arrested May 6 by Bothell police after he allegedly told a representative from Molina Health Care over the phone that,  "I am five minutes away from Bothell and I will bomb you when I get there.  I have a gun.  I want to shoot your director.  I will kill everybody including that idiot Fasil."  Fasil is the representative's supervisor.

“I have absolutely no memory,” said Farzad at his home in Gig Harbor. “I still don’t have a memory that I have said something.”

Farzad said he has had repeated confrontations with Molina over denials to cover anti-depression medication he has prescribed to patients at his Tacoma office. Instead of supplying the more up-to-date prescriptions he wants, Farzad said the company has paid for older, much cheaper drugs that he considered outdated and dangerous.

During a heated telephone call with a Molina representative on May 5th, Farzad told the representative he was homicidal and made a threat to bomb the office according to a report by the Bothell Police Department.

Molina’s offices are located in Bothell.

“I lost it at that point, she just argued with me,” Farzad said. “I think I said certain things that I’m blocking right now. I blocked that part.”

Farzad was arrested the following day and bailed out of jail a short time later. He has not yet entered a plea.

He said he believes he may have become so enraged he made the threat but can’t recall it because his anger caused him to experience a temporary blackout and memory loss.

“I never get that furious, but once in a while it happens to everybody,” said Farzad.

The Washington State Department of Health suspended Farzad from practicing medicine while he awaits trial.

Farzad was investigated last year following allegations of inappropriate contact with two female patients. He claims the charges were false and the women changed their stories.

A representative with the Department of Health said that investigation remains open.

Source: "Tacoma psychiatrist accused of making bomb threats speaks out," KIRO-TV.com (Tacoma, WA), Monday, May 12, 2014.