Grand Forks RCMP found themselves in possession of a live hand grenade last week.
On December 1 at 4:40 p.m., a person came by the RCMP Detachment in Grand Forks to turn in some firearms and ammunition that they did not want.
“Unfortunately, also present was a realistic looking grenade,” Detachment Commander Sergeant Darryl Peppler. “This grenade was immediately seized and safely secured and stored.”
After a consultation with the RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit (EDU) it was determined that the grenade appeared military and a referral was made to the Canadian Armed Forces, according to a release from the detachment.
After sending pictures to the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit (EDO) of the Canadian military, they felt it was warranted for their attendance. On December 2 in the midafternoon, EDO members attended, confirmed that the grenade was in fact real and not inert.
The grenade was subsequently seized and disposed of.
“Often, when people are cleaning out a family members home they come across firearms and other weapons,” Peppler said. “These items should never be transported and brought to a detachment, rather call the police to report this and an officer will attend and seize these items.
“This was a potentially scary incident in what was later confirmed to be a live grenade brought to the detachment. We are trained to treat all firearms and other weapons as live, and this is a good example as to why we do that.”