[UPDATE 8:25 p.m.] Residents and Businesses Evacuated After Grenade Found on Arcata Street

12308677_1686240784927411_3435198592999962725_n

A grenade was found tonight at the corner of 11th and I Street in Arcata. Other news agencies are reporting that homes and residences have been evacuated.

Reader Carol Andersen sent in this photo. She writes that she spoke to Sgt. Brian Hoffmann at the scene. She said he told her that the bomb squad will soon be detonating the device “where it stands.”

Andersen wrote that the Hoffmann told her that the Arcata Police Department “stumbled upon it.”

According to Andersen, he told her that the grenade appears to be real but it does not have a pin.

At 7:48 p.m. scanner traffic says, “Be advised they are about to detonate.”

We will update as soon as they do.

UPDATE 8:25 p.m.: 

The grenade has been detonated according to Bobby Kroeker our reporter on the spot. It appears to have been a working device. On the grenade, the pin was gone but the “spoon” or handle was still in place.

According to Kroeker, the Bomb-bot had some issues with the fiber optic cable so they couldn’t use the bot. One of the officers got into a bomb suit, placed sandbags around the grenade and then detonated it remotely

He has sent us several photos of the Bomb-bot taken after the incident. The Humboldt County Bomb Squad allowed him to take several staged photos.

12305540_10201143307062357_664846774_n

12312231_10201143308702398_1315062653_n

12305453_10201143320702698_1546294043_n

12319590_10201143320382690_1017510264_n

Note: In this brave new internet world, we interviewed Sgt. Brian Hoffman through reader Carol Andersen. She was on the scene talking to him and conveyed our questions and his answers as Facebook messages.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

12 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
sharpen your pencil
Guest
sharpen your pencil
8 years ago

“Well boys looks an expensive piece of lawn art, send in Bob.”

Barry Wallowberg
Guest
Barry Wallowberg
8 years ago

They could sell it to eureka to go with the over priced art they love to buy, so they come in over budget.

Urban Farmer
Guest
Urban Farmer
8 years ago

But the spoon….what?
Typo?

Urban Farmer
Guest
Urban Farmer
8 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I didn’t want to assume anything. Thanks for the quick clarification.

Argyle
Guest
Argyle
8 years ago

Stumbled upon, that’s scary

saucy
Guest
saucy
8 years ago

I guess I don’t know much about grenades…I thought after the pin was taken out and the handle was released it explodes a few seconds after…Isn’t that how it is in like every action movie ever made??

HumboldtRobin
Guest
HumboldtRobin
8 years ago
Reply to  saucy

The pin is suppose to keep the spring loaded “spoon” in place.
The fuse starts burning when the spoon separates from the grenade.
From the mechanical perspective something was fowling the spoon keeping it from releasing. Which means that this could have been a deliberate attempt to blow up whatever building it was found in front of that was avoided by chance.

Michael
Guest
Michael
8 years ago
Reply to  HumboldtRobin

or, it could have been an inert practice grenade like they sell at surplus stores here and elsewhere. They are real grenades, usually painted blue but not always…

T
Guest
T
8 years ago

yep usually anything that is an explosive but not operable is painted blue. such as claymores or even grenades.

it takes a quarter lb of pressure to release the spoon and or activate the fuse. pretty unnerving when you are throwing one down range and the proper throw require holding it right by your head lol.