And just as that chaotic scene was unfolding at the crowded corner of Princess Margaret and University Drives, another even more dangerous one was discovered in front of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The attention of police was called to a live grenade, the pin already released, that had been lobbed into a crowded area. The only thing that kept it from going off and killing hundreds was the black plastic bag holding it. Police moved quickly to block off the area, which only created more hysteria and un-ease for tired carnival reveller and spectators trying to go home and also fleeing the first shooting. 7NEWS was on the scene, and Jules Vasquez got up close access.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
This was Princess Margaret Drive on Saturday night after police closed the area to all traffic. The beam of a flashlight marked the spot where a grenade lay wrapped inside a plastic bag. At about 5:30 just after the carnival had passed it was thrown under a nearby car, then picked up by an onlooker – who suspected something from the way it had been thrown. When he looked inside and saw it was an explosive, he put it in the grass and called the police.
The area was secured against a possible blast and about an hour later, Commander of Police Operations Crispin Jeffries stalked the perimeter waiting for the BDF bomb squad. They arrived led by Major James Requena, the BDF bomb expert who was watching the carnival nearby when he got the call about the explosive.
While the BDF got sandbags ready, 7NEWS was given access to the area as Requena went to the spot in nothing more than a flak jacket.
Major James Requena, BDF Bomb Expert
“Better you go a little further, 35 feet, from here to the fence. Give me a break here.”
I went back but not the full 35 meters as I wanted to see the Major at work in deep concentration. A few tense moments elapsed but Requena was not distracted,
and in a minute and a half Requena came out with a grenade in his hand.
[Security forces inspecting grenade]
Here it is, an L109Ai, British Fragmentation type grenade. Requena placed it in this metal case covered in sand, the object that could have injured dozens of innocent people now stowed in a case to be destroyed later.
Jules Vasquez,
What did you do just now?
Major James Requena,
“All I did Jules is pull the fly off lever, I placed an improvised pin back into the place where the pin was, I straightened out a paper clip, I straightened it and pushed it back through where you would normally have a safety pin and I held it in my hand and it is perfectly safe as long as the fly off lever is not off.”
Jules Vasquez,
But if you had made an error, wow.
Major James Requena,
“That is the reason we are trained. If I had made an error, that is the reason I asked for the public to be cleared, my life would not here.”
Jules Vasquez,
What sort of margin for error do you have in a situation like this?
Major James Requena,
“Minimal, very minimal.”
Jules Vasquez,
And how did you feel in that moment, I saw your concentration, even amidst this bizarre environment, I see your concentration is intense?
Major James Requena,
“You have to have a seriously intense concentration, you have to block out everything else. You can’t have any family problems, you can’t
be thinking about anybody. You have to think I will get it through and I will make sure nobody gets hurt.”
No one hurt, but it was very close. As this illustration shows, the safety pin, this silver ring at the top had been removed.
Crispin Jeffries,
“Some of the working parts of the grenade that would have detonated it are still in tact but the pin was missing.”
Jules Vasquez,
Why wasn’t the grenade detonated when it was thrown?
Major James Requena,
“What happened is that they removed the pin and they put it in a plastic bag and they tied it and as long as the bag is tied and the fly over lever cannot come off the pressure cannot hit the top. So even though it was loosed a bit, maybe they expected the plastic to burst and it would have gone off but fortunate for them it didn’t, fortunate for us thanks to the plastic. It’s good.”
Crispin Jeffries,
“I think we’re very fortunate. I think that you could say God was with us for today because I think the nature, the ammunition nature has a 30 to 35 meter radius so in any direction from where the explosion takes place, persons or person would have been injured. In fact in the general area where we found the grenade, people would have been standing less than ten feet, five feet, or maybe standing right over that item.”
And while this situation was effectively contained, will we be so lucky the next time? Sadly this law enforcement officer feels strongly that there will be a next time.
Jules Vasquez,
Who would do such a thing?
Crispin Jeffries,
“That is a serious concern and a question we will be asking for a long long time to come.”
Jules Vasquez,
I know you found a grenade earlier this week and now you’ve found another one. how many more are out there?
Crispin Jeffries,
“The incidental thing here Mr. Vasquez is that this grenade is different than the other two so it gives greater concern to find out what volume is coming in and where they are coming from.”
Police have two persons detained in for the grenade and are looking for two more. One of the present detainees has been held in connection with a grenade before.
