Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians did a controlled detonation of a mortar round in Rich Hill, Missouri.
According to the Bates County Sheriff's office, the mortar round was found inside a city-owned building by an employee who was shuffling around inside looking for tools. How the mortar ended up there remains a bit of a mystery.
"It’s reported that this was originally found approximately a year ago and placed on a shelf and forgotten," the Bates Country Sheriff's office posted on social media.
On Nov. 9, the Rich Hill Police Department received a phone call that an employee had found the explosive, which appears to be an old 60mm mortar, encrusted with rust and earth.
When police arrived to inspect the military-grade explosive, they called the Lee’s Summit Bomb Squad who referred them to the Kansas City Bomb Squad who in turn recommended speaking with Army EOD specialists at Fort Riley.
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While police cordoned off the area, Army EOD technicians arrived and transported the mortar round outside where they conducted a controlled detonation to destroy the weapon in a safe manner.
"The Army guys carried it out to the woods and detonated it safely," the Sheriff's office posted on social media after the incident. "It was a large boom for sure."
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Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR.
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