thedrifter
08-12-07, 09:46 AM
8/11/2007 2:51:00 PM
Amid Astoria Regatta crowds, state and feds called in to blow up fake bomb
Parade diverted; ‘It was not a real bomb, but it was made to look like one’
By MARK BROWN
The Daily Astorian
A fake bomb found in downtown Astoria Saturday caused the Regatta Grand Land Parade to be diverted.
The device was discovered shortly after 8 a.m. in the doorway of 818 Commercial St., an office building which houses the Army Career Center - recruiting offices for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps - and several other businesses.
Army personnel arriving for work discovered the suspicious device and notified the Astoria Police Department. An Astoria police officer looked at it and notified Oregon State Police.
A State Police bomb technician flew to Astoria from Salem and a FBI agent drove to the scene from Portland. Shortly after the Grand Land Parade began at noon, the bomb technician donned protective gear, analyzed the device and found it free of any explosive elements. The device was then destroyed by a controlled explosion as a precaution. The small blast blew out one of the glass panes next to the doors leading to the lobby of the office building.
"It was not a real bomb, but it was made to look like one," said Astoria Assistant Chief of Police Alan Oja, who was incident commander at the site.
Army Maj. Bob Gambrell, who oversees the Astoria Career Center and six other recruiting offices in Oregon, said that a fake bomb, "very similar in nature," was found roughly two months ago at the Portland Army recruiting office.
Astoria Police Officer Matt Clausen said the device had German writing on it that translated to "no war."
"It looked kind of like a radio receiver, but fatter and with something wrapped around it," said Clausen.
The fake bomb found at the Portland office had the words "white rose" written on it, also in German.
Ellie
Amid Astoria Regatta crowds, state and feds called in to blow up fake bomb
Parade diverted; ‘It was not a real bomb, but it was made to look like one’
By MARK BROWN
The Daily Astorian
A fake bomb found in downtown Astoria Saturday caused the Regatta Grand Land Parade to be diverted.
The device was discovered shortly after 8 a.m. in the doorway of 818 Commercial St., an office building which houses the Army Career Center - recruiting offices for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps - and several other businesses.
Army personnel arriving for work discovered the suspicious device and notified the Astoria Police Department. An Astoria police officer looked at it and notified Oregon State Police.
A State Police bomb technician flew to Astoria from Salem and a FBI agent drove to the scene from Portland. Shortly after the Grand Land Parade began at noon, the bomb technician donned protective gear, analyzed the device and found it free of any explosive elements. The device was then destroyed by a controlled explosion as a precaution. The small blast blew out one of the glass panes next to the doors leading to the lobby of the office building.
"It was not a real bomb, but it was made to look like one," said Astoria Assistant Chief of Police Alan Oja, who was incident commander at the site.
Army Maj. Bob Gambrell, who oversees the Astoria Career Center and six other recruiting offices in Oregon, said that a fake bomb, "very similar in nature," was found roughly two months ago at the Portland Army recruiting office.
Astoria Police Officer Matt Clausen said the device had German writing on it that translated to "no war."
"It looked kind of like a radio receiver, but fatter and with something wrapped around it," said Clausen.
The fake bomb found at the Portland office had the words "white rose" written on it, also in German.
Ellie