By Dylan McCament, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON – “Treat it like it’s live.”
That’s the advice that Captain Jay Sheffer of the Knox County Sheriff’s Office has for local residents who stumble upon anything that appears to be an antique explosive device.
“Call 911 and let them know. Do not touch it,” Sheffer said. “Try to get people out of the area.”
On Thursday, three explosive devices that appeared to be grenades dating from around the World War 2 era were found among assorted items taken from the hardware store in Danville.
Sheffer said most local residents are just not accustomed to stumbling upon such devices, and, in this case, the individuals involved were very surprised at their discovery.
“One of the devices was handled and transported. And it was still live,” he said. “Luckily nothing bad happened but the potential was there.”
Sheffer said, if a resident finds something that appears to be an explosive, the KCSO can come, investigate and bring in professionals to determine what the device is. He said, on Thursday, it was fortunate that no one was injured, and law enforcement dealt with the situation properly. The Columbus Bomb Squad was called in and the grenades in question were disposed by controlled detonation in the old Brinkhaven sand plant.
Though such cases are rare, Sheffer said, they are a matter of great concern to law enforcement. He added that there have been similar cases in the past several years in which a Knox County resident has found an old explosive among other belongings.