Police Bomb Squad Disrupts Suspicious Device in East Salem

After the recent discovery of four bombs in the span of a single day, Salem residents are in a serious mode and following police directions.

(SALEM) - A Salem man called police today after spotting a suspicious object in some brush on his property.

John Forgard, who lives at 3035 Hollywood Dr NE in Salem said he called police to say he believed it may be a homemade explosive device.

The police responded around 1:30 PM this afternoon, and soon the bomb squad was enroute.

Based on the preliminary report and what explosive technicians from the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad found when they examined the item, it appeared to have been lying there for quite some time as it was covered in a heavy coat of dust.

As a precaution, members of the bomb squad moved the item out to the roadway and disrupted it.

What they discovered was that it was actually a piece of wood; possibly a large diameter dowel or part of a pool cue wrapped in tape and contained no explosive material.

Because of the proximity of this event to McKay High School, school officials elected to conduct a lockdown.

Traffic was stopped on Hollywood Dr for the duration of this event which lasted about an hour and a half.

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Albert Marnell September 17, 2006 5:58 am (Pacific time)

eqriddler, Where did you get your nom de plume, from Batman? Your attitude and comments are a real bomb. How do you like that? The probability of you being killed by a bomb is next to zero. Only if the government decides to kill more of us with their weaponry will the % go higher. Did you notice that no one was ever found who created the Anthrax scare? This is because our government was in on it. It has been trying to keep the people in a state of patriotic paranoia for decades. It is just that now it has gone too far.

eqriddler September 13, 2006 2:25 am (Pacific time)

Albert, you didn't mention the bomb squad.

eqriddler September 13, 2006 2:18 am (Pacific time)

Hank, unless you have a better idea, I'm proposing the city, county and state police organize under one system and be self supporting.

Albert Marnell September 11, 2006 9:40 pm (Pacific time)

I was at a 9/11 memorial today in a nice remote area. The police were swarming around looking to give tickets for parking and other petty things. This is a waste of money and takes away the pleasures of life. I was beyond getting angry. There are too many laws, penalties, fines, fees, taxes, surcharges, recovery fees, etc. Once something is added on they never take it off. A person is a suspect and a potential criminal just because they have a drivers license.

Hank Ruark September 11, 2006 5:05 pm (Pacific time)

Eq: By definition, "privatize" requires cut-off-top...and onlt THEN any savings...so when set up it usually means slash of any worker benefits as easy way to "bottom line". But just to make sure we award the contract to "one of ours" and get a slice off the top, too. Halliburton sound familiar ?

eqriddler September 11, 2006 1:58 pm (Pacific time)

Albert, out of control police state? I sense your dissatifaction but try to be objective. I will work with you. How about privatizing the police force and appointing an overseer? Competition would drive costs down and effectiveness up. The guys that run it now have it a little too easy right? This suggestion to the right people would at least cause some evaluation and maybe some positive change.

Albert Marnell September 11, 2006 2:57 am (Pacific time)

The main reason that people should have guns is to protect themselves from the out of control police state that we live in. I do not have one. The day may come when I clearly see that things like Marshall Law are not my cup of tea and I will not be a prisoner in my own natural environment. I have always been able to protect myself from predatory people, my main concern today is that law enforcement is increasingly predatory and militaristic. Live Free or Die! Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!

eqriddler September 10, 2006 10:25 pm (Pacific time)

Albert, they spent 90 minutes on this potential bomb while making a big show in the process. A pool que sized diameter pipe bomb could yield a potential blast of low magnitude. So, throw a manhole cover on it and if it goes off the cover is a shield. I would'nt say there's NO probability of it being a danger, but rather a very very VERY low one. So, OK make your careful moves, but 90 minutes, a lockdown, a street closure and a new law is excessive. Did the kids even get to admire the robot? Or see it demonstrated? No. Selfish. But about conquest of the worlds resources and 9-11 etc. I have a gun and freedom loving people should too. Not out of personal fear but for necessary protection from potential adversaries. Maybe we could target practice on some pieces of pool ques.

Albert Marnell September 10, 2006 5:33 am (Pacific time)

Dear eqriddler, I think what you are saying is that all of this small potato paranoia over firecrackers, fake firecrackers and just plain harmless objects is beyond absurd. These robots are big business and fear is big business. If they do not sell the private sector something they sell it to the public sector (law enforcement.) Law enforcement loves new toys and then likes to invest in the companies that make the toys. After that they come out and say it is so needed so that the stock that they bought will go up. Taser is a prime example of this. As you point out, if there really was a big bomb, all of this nonsense does nothing. There is no big bomb and if there were our government is obviously not intelligent or honest enough to protect us, 9/11 being a prime example. Where were the fighter jets? Yet recently a British Airways jet was escorted down and a 58 year old woman was tackled because she was having a nervous breakdown. So where were the fighter jets on 9/11. They were in Canada and Alaska for the excuse to start a last quest for control of the world's remaining oil and resources under the guise of instilling democracy and protecting people from terrorism. Our military officials went along with the scheme of 9/11 and are not to be believed. All in the name of my least favorite terms, multinationals and global bankers that own the world.

eqriddler September 10, 2006 1:42 am (Pacific time)

Albert, you have a point. But when can they deploy the mighty bomb robot? The least they could've done was let the kids watch. I just hope they don't make some kind of law that keeps taking away our freedoms...again.

Albert Marnell September 9, 2006 9:16 am (Pacific time)

Dear Joel Walker, You are a pisser! Keep it up. Great humour!

Matt September 9, 2006 12:07 am (Pacific time)

I believe the police use that term when they didn't really disarm it (As this one wasn't a real bomb) they just blew up another explosive next to it to destroy it. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

Joel Walker September 8, 2006 11:39 pm (Pacific time)

Ich bin ein bomben disruptor, mit der robotzen klanken, und mit der strasse blocken. What means "disrupted?" I mean, really.

Albert Marnell September 8, 2006 9:57 pm (Pacific time)

The next time you see a dog pile don't let your imagination run away with you. It is only nitrogen. It will stink but I never saw a dog pile explode. Take it easy on paranoid prison planet!

Anonymous September 8, 2006 10:20 am (Pacific time)

Have they said anything new on the 4 pipe bombs yet?

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