The Port of Seattle Bomb Squad neutralized a homemade explosive device in a backpack that was dropped off Tuesday morning, Oct. 14 at the Kent Police Department, 220 Fourth Ave. S.
At about 10:58 a.m., police were notified that a backpack originally located by the Green River, had been placed into a private vehicle and driven to the police department by a private individual, according to an Oct. 14 Kent Police news release.
Police evacuated the station. Local streets and businesses were advised to either evacuate or shelter in place depending on their location, according to police.
The Port of Seattle Bomb Squad responded and were able to quickly determine that the device was homemade and potentially active, according to police. They used their specialized training and equipment to neutralize the device and handled its disposal. The roads surrounding the police station were closed during the process.
Although the device was brought to the station by a concerned citizen, police conducted a sweep of the City Hall Campus as a precautionary measure. No other devices were found or are suspected to be on campus.
Police began an investigation of the incident and may rely on law enforcement partners for support.
“Kent Police want to stress that it is never appropriate to pick up, move or otherwise handle a suspected explosive device,” according to the news release. “It is extremely dangerous to move explosives and should only be done by highly trained professionals. Improvised explosive devices are especially unstable.”
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