Ontario police warn residents after WWII grenade lands at station
Ontario Provincial Police told the public to leave explosives where they are found after a resident brought an unexploded WWII grenade to an Ottawa detachment.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
An unexploded World War II grenade ended up at an Ontario police station Friday, prompting a public safety reminder from police: do not carry explosives into a detachment.
The Ontario Provincial Police said a resident brought the grenade to the OPP Detachment in Ottawa, according to a notice from OPP East Region shared on social media and reported by UPI.
The force used the incident to warn residents against moving old munitions or similar dangerous objects themselves, even if the goal is to hand them over to authorities.
“The OPP would like to remind the public that if you find such items, please do not transport them to your local police station,” OPP East Region wrote in its post. “This could obviously prove extremely dangerous to the person bringing the item and others around.”
What police say to do instead
Police advised anyone who comes across explosives to leave the item exactly where it is and tell authorities where it can be found.
According to OPP East Region, police can then bring in specialists to deal with the object safely. “The police will arrange for their Explosives Disposal Unit to attend to safely discard the item,” the post said.
The warning was aimed at residents who may encounter old military items, unexploded ordnance or other explosive material and believe they are helping by bringing it directly to police.
In this case, the item was described by police as an unexploded grenade from World War II. OPP East Region did not ask the public to identify or move such items, but instead to report their location so trained personnel can respond.
The Ontario Provincial Police East Region post was shared Friday. UPI reported the incident Monday, July 13.
The takeaway from police was short and practical: if an explosive turns up, do not pick it up, do not put it in a vehicle and do not walk it into a police station. Leave it in place and call authorities.
This story draws on original reporting from UPI.