Chief: Explosive Device Was Not A Risk To Randleman Dam

WFMY NEWS2, digtriad.com
BYLINE: Nick Needham
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/166892/57/Chief-Explosive-Device-Was-Not-A-Risk-To-Randleman-Dam-
Link to Article

Greensboro, NC


Greensboro, NC -- An improvised explosive device was found at the Randleman Regional Reservoir Thursday afternoon.

Greensboro Police Chief Ken Miller told WFMY News 2 Friday morning that the device was small, wasn't close to the dam and couldn't compromise the dam. But, he added, it was big enough it could have hurt people.

The Chief also said the device was put in the water at Randleman Lake not long ago. He went on to give a time from between a few days to a week or two ago. He said this was a device someone created to explode and could not have been a device used by construction or road crews.

At this point, the explosive device is at the property evidence room at the Greensboro Police Department. Because the device was found outside the county, with a regional authority involved, there are many jurisdictions involved. Miller believes sometime this afternoon a decision will be made as to which agency will handle the case.

Here is the background of the device's discovery: the Greensboro Police Department's Hazardous Devices Team was requested to respond by the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority at 3 pm. One of the authority's officers located the device and notified the Randleman Police Department.


The device was found on the northeast shoreline of the reservoir near the Randleman dam off of Jesse Small Road, according to a news release from the Greensboro Police Department.

The device was secured utilizing the bomb robot and was rendered safe at the scene by 6 pm, according to the release. It was determined to be an actual IED.

Greensboro Police Chief Ken Miller told WFMY News 2 the device was a "small scale IED." He said describing it could hamper the investigation.

"It's a pretty rare event to come across an actual bomb," Miller said.

Miller said it was unclear if someone was targeted as there are no homes or development in the area where the IED was found.

The IED was found at the end of Jesse Small Road where it dead ends into a cove of the lake. The bomb is now being stored as evidence.

Miller said they are following several leads in the case.

No injuries or property damage was reported as a result of the event and it appears that the dam was never in any danger of being damaged from the IED, according to the release.

The device and all related evidence was photographed and secured by the crime scene investigators from the Greensboro Police Department for forensic processing.

The Level Cross Fire Department and EMS units from Randolph and Guilford Counties also responded to the scene. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assisting with the investigation.

The remaining shoreline of the reservoir was searched for any additional suspected IED. The search will resume Friday morning in an effort to help ensure the reservoir waters are safe, according to the release.

The reservoir is closed to boaters and fisherman until April 1, which was previously planned before Thursday discovery.

Investigators say other than the officer who initially recovered the IED, no one was endangered in anyway by the event.

Greensboro police encourage anyone who observes or finds a suspicious package to notify law enforcement officials immediately.

The investigation remains ongoing.

WFMY News 2/GPD

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
International Association for Property and Evidence
"Law Enforcement Serving the Needs of Law Enforcement"
www.IAPE.org