Palo Alto police closed off a portion of Forest Avenue in downtown after a resident brought what appeared to be a pipe bomb to the police station this afternoon, police said.
The Santa Clara County Bomb Squad confirmed it was a bomb and blew it up on the concrete steps of the police station, 275 Forest Ave., at 6:28 p.m., police Lt. Sandra Brown reported.
Agent Max Nielepko, Palo Alto police spokesman, said the person told the police that he found what looked like a pipe bomb in his yard. Nielepko confirmed that the device closely resembled a pipe bomb. The department called in the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad to investigate, he said.
Police closed Forest to traffic at about 4:40 p.m., shortly after the person brought in the object, Nielepko said.
Nielepko said the person drove the device over to the department in a car. He advised residents who find objects that look like explosive devices to back off from them call 9-1-1 as soon as possible. He also said the department encourages people not to drive with such objects in their car.
Comments
College Terrace
on Feb 25, 2010 at 6:16 pm
on Feb 25, 2010 at 6:16 pm
The Palo Alto police encourage people not to drive with pipe bombs in their cars. Does that mean it's OK to hand carry them?
Greendell/Walnut Grove
on Feb 25, 2010 at 6:26 pm
on Feb 25, 2010 at 6:26 pm
hahaha you make funny
Barron Park
on Feb 25, 2010 at 7:28 pm
on Feb 25, 2010 at 7:28 pm
No you don't hand carry them, you ship it FEDEX/UPS, they will definately break it ! Save PA & SCC Police/ Fire/ Bomb teams
time & money
Downtown North
on Feb 25, 2010 at 7:32 pm
on Feb 25, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Darn.. I got off of work at 5 pm and was parked in the City Hall garage.. I wish I had stayed so I could see them detonate the bomb!!!!!
Poor squirrelies... =(
another community
on Feb 26, 2010 at 8:01 am
on Feb 26, 2010 at 8:01 am
Another fine piece of reporting by PAO, lacking in details about the man and the neighborhood his house is in. Is police advising everyone in PA to lookout for pipe bomb?
South of Midtown
on Feb 26, 2010 at 8:16 am
on Feb 26, 2010 at 8:16 am
I agree! I don't especially care how it got to the police. Where it came from and why is what concerns me. Should we be inspecting our yards? What did it look like? Did this individual have reason to expect such a thing in his yard? Is is raining pipe bombs? Help us out here!
Menlo Park
on Feb 26, 2010 at 10:31 am
on Feb 26, 2010 at 10:31 am
Really! Can we get some details here? Last time I checked, pipebombs were only rarely seen in people's yards - about as often as pygmy goats being attacked by mountain lions. Oh wait... How about why, where, when, who, etc? Journalism 101. Jeez.
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Feb 26, 2010 at 11:36 am
on Feb 26, 2010 at 11:36 am
Wouldn't it be interesting if the fellow who "found" the pipe bomb actually "found" it in his home workshop and decided, for some reason, that it might be better to give it to the police for destruction that trying to blow it up himself. With the reporting by the Weekly, we would never know that the "hero" was really a "bomber". But this guy probably wouldn't want the police nosing around in his workshop, would he.
Calling the Palo Alto police, and standing way, way back, warning anyone else who comes along of the danger, is what this guy should have done. As it were, he's cost the taxpayers a lot of money in lost productivity of the City Hall workforce.,
Sad ..
Midtown
on Feb 26, 2010 at 1:28 pm
on Feb 26, 2010 at 1:28 pm
HAHAHHAHHA no way he brought what he thought was a live bomb to the police station?!?!??! Thats smart....
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Feb 26, 2010 at 2:31 pm
on Feb 26, 2010 at 2:31 pm
What does a pipe bomb look like?
Midtown
on Feb 26, 2010 at 4:16 pm
on Feb 26, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Frequent shopper: A clue, it's in a pipe.