Alcohol and UXO - an Explosive Combination

GBubczyce, Poland Two men were hospitalized after a WWII artillery shell they found in the woods and brought home exploded. The men and a woman were discovered in an apartment after police responded to a report that a window had been damaged in the building.

Noticing extensive damage to the apartment building including a hole in the floor and a window which was blow out from the inside, police suspected an explosion. Bomb-sniffing dogs and a bomb-disposal team was called to the scene as 36 residents from the building were evacuated.

A woman at the apartment along with the two men hurt in the blast were given sobriety tests and found to have blood alcohol levels far beyond Poland's legal drunk-driving limit.

Both men were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and finally admitted to the police after extensive questioning that they found an ordnance item in the woods and decided to bring it to the apartment when it exploded.

The two men and lucky to be alive and are expected to recover from their injuries. Police issued a reminder that anyone who finds unexploded historical ordnance to contact the authorities immediately and never to attempt to handle the items.

Drop the Hammer and Leave "Ordnance" ID to the Professionals

Formby, England Merseyside Police were called in to reports of a suspected munition found in a Formby yard during renovations. What was at first thought to be an unexploded German bomb was determined by EOD to be old metal pipe, but not before the contractor who found it pounded on it with a hammer.

Timmy Goulbourne had been doing some work at a cottage when he made the discovery. John Robinson, the owner of the cottage, said "We were clearing a pathway last week. We were digging it out with a JCB and Timmy pulled out [what we thought was] the bomb."

Robinson further explained the Goulbourne said, "No, it's not a bomb," and started hitting it with a hammer saying "see, it's not exploding!"

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said, "We can confirm officers attended open land in Formby following the discovery of a metal pipe initially suspected to be an unexploded ordnance. As a precaution the EOD team attended and assessed the object was a rusted metal pipe."

As a reminder, never strike a suspected ordnance item with any other device. Leave it in place and notify authorities.

Please Leave Grandpa's Grenades at Home

Tacoma, Washington EOD responded to the Tacoma Police Department after a woman brought an "heirloom" UXO in for disposal. The WWII-era hand grenade was reportedly passed down from a family member who had served in the military.

"While the intentions were good, please don't bring grandpa's war souvenirs to the lobby," the police reminded people in a post on their social media page.

Police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd said that people are well-meaning with they bring in old ordnance, but they should, instead, leave it in place. "You just never know how stable those things are," she said. Better to leave it to the experts to evaluate.

Police department and U.S. Army EOD safely disposed of the live munition.

Ordnance Discovered Near Donation Bins

York County, Pennsylvania A shopping plaza was shut down after suspected UXO was found near donation bins on the property. Newberry Township Police responded to Newberry Commons after reports of potential explosive devices in a laundry basket by the bins.

Responding officers called in the Pennsylvania State Police Hazardous Device and Explosives Unit. The team determined that the grenades were inert and removed them for proper disposal.

UXO Brought in to Police Detonated in Parking Lot

Hawaii Kai, Hawaii A well-meaning citizen forced an EOD response to the Hawaii Kai Police Substation after bringing in 60mm HE mortars. Honolulu Police Department's Specialized Services Division and EOD successfully defused the devices at the Maunalua Bay parking lot.

[More]

Suspect Throws Live Grenade from Car During Police Pursuit

Oakland, California California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers dodged more than a bullet while pursuing a driver in a stolen vehicle. According to a social media post, the officers from Oakland attempted to pull over the vehicle when the suspect, Carlos Kuceja, fled, prompting the pursuit.

During the chase, officers witnessed Kuceja toss a bag from the driver's window. A CHP officer not involved in the pursuit stopped to secure the bag and discovered what appeared to be a grenade with the pin partially removed.

[More]

"Trashed" Hand Grenade Rendered Safe

Woodford, Vermont State police are investigating a call from property management of the Prospect Mountain Ski Area in Woodford about suspected hand grenade found at a Woodford cross-country ski area.

The device was reportedly found in a container during a clean up near the parking lot. Troopers from the Shaftsbury barracks responded to the scene and confirmed the report.

The Vermont State Police Bomb Squad responded to safely remove the grenade for disposal. No additional ordnance items were found and no injuries were reported.

Police are requesting that anyone who may have information regarding the improper disposal of the hand grenade to contact Corporal Travis Hess at the Shaftsbury barracks.

TSA Confiscate Grenade Found in Checked Bag at LaGuardia

Queens, New York Agents from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at LaGuardia Airport in New York found an inert grenade in a checked bag, according to a spokesperson from the agency.

Port Authority police and TSA explosive experts responded to the scene where the owner of the bag told agents he got the item as a gift at a museum. The grenade was found to be inert and was handed over to TSA explosives experts to use as a training aid for TSA officers.

Metal Detecting Grenade Find Brought Home

Hatfield, Pennsylvania The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Bomb and Hazardous Device Disposal Unit successfully retrieved a live grenade from a home in Hatfield Township. The incident began when a resident found the grenade with a metal detector at Greenlane Park and brought it home before contacting the police. Officers and firefighters arrived and evacuated the home, and closed Line Lexington Road temporarily for safety.

The bomb squad confirmed it was a live grenade and removed it for proper disposal. Fortunately, there were no injuries, and the road was reopened after the item was removed.

Online Ordnance Purchase Goes "Up in Smoke"

Llansantffraid, Powys, England A collector who bought a WWII-era Hungarian stick grenade online for 51 pounds (approximately 66 US dollars) was forced to turn the UXO over to EOD for a controlled detonation.

Kallum Williams said the item was advertised as decommissioned, but when it arrived it appeared still have explosive powder inside. He called the police after realizing it should have had holes in it where the powder had been removed. "It felt like a saltshaker," Williams said.

[More]

More Entries


BlogCFC was created by Raymond Camden. This blog is running version 5.5.002.