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Inert grenade closes Coquitlam Value Village

Store has since re-opened and police say that public safety was not at risk
Bomb threat
The Value Village on Barnet Highway in Coquitlam was evacuated Friday morning after an inert grenade was found in a donation bin.

 

 

The Barnet Highway Value Village was shut down Friday morning after an inert hand grenade was found in a donation bin.

Shoppers were calmly told to leave the store as police and firefighters closed off Runnel Drive and setup a perimeter around the property.

"Members attended and located what appeared to be a grenade with the pin still in it," said Coquitlam RCMP Const. Jamie Phillipson. "I believe the next call was to [the Explosive Disposal Unit]."

EDU investigators found the grenade to be inert and by noon the roads were re-opened. 

Phillipson said it is possible that someone may have inadvertently put the device in a donation bin without realizing it. However, he added that anytime people have ammunition or any kinds of explosive devices they wish to dispose of, they should contact police.

"We would like to be that first phone call you make," he said. "We can help dispose of that with you."

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