Federal Way bomb unit detonates homemade explosive device found in cabinet

Published 11:17 am Tuesday, September 20, 2016

The Federal Way Bomb Disposal Unit detonated an explosive device found in piece of furniture yesterday.

The detonation was standard disruption protocol to render the device safe, Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said.

At around 7:35 p.m., the bomb unit responded to a residence located in the 100 block of Southwest 304th Street after receiving a call about a suspicious device. According to place, the homeowner a couple of weeks ago placed an old cabinet and several other pieces of furniture in front of his home for removal, but a family member brought a cabinet back into the house.

It was then the residents discovered a small propane tank in the cabinet. The 16.4-ounce tank had some powder inside, a plastic cap and a long fuse. The resident took the device outside and called police.

The bomb squad determined that, if the fuse had been lit, the tank most likely would have exploded.

Schrock said the homeowners have “no idea how long it was in the cabinet or who may have made the device.”

“There was no criminal intent to cause harm with this device,” Schrock said, noting that the determination was based on investigators speaking to witnesses and residents of the home. “The device was constructed of simple, readily available material, and is a common type of device found by bomb disposal units, particularly around the Fourth of July or New Year’s.”

The investigation is considered closed at this time, she said.