Police shut down the area around the Richmond Heights City Hall, fire department and police department Friday afternoon after two men brought an “unidentified object” to the fire department, the city said.
Police stopped traffic on Big Bend Boulevard and Dale Avenue as a metropolitan police department robot inspected a truck parked near the fire department, an employee of Telle Tire, across the street, said.
According to Richmond Heights City Manager Amy Hamilton: “Two gentlemen brought an unidentified object to the FD that they had found at a local residence they are working on. FD called the metro bomb squad to come identify and remove the object.”
Updated, with information from the Richmond Heights Police Department:
A press release titled: “Unexploded Bomb” — At about 2:15 p.m. two men found what they believed may be a pipe bomb in a Richmond Heights home they were rehabbing. See a PDF of the “unexploded bomb” press release.
The men brought the item to the Richmond Heights Fire Department for identification and disposal. They placed the item outside the Richmond Heights Public Safety building and notified fire department personnel who, in turn, notified the police department.
St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit was notified while adjacent properties were evacuated and the adjacent roadways closed. Bomb and Arson officers, using a remote robot, removed the item and all was clear by about 3:50 p.m. All roadways were immediately reopened.
The residence wherein the item was found was searched for additional threats to safety. None were found.
…and…what was it?
Since the city press release was entitled, “unexploded bomb,” I assume that’s what it was.