Update

Seattle Police put up their report on SPD Blotter about the Ballard Corners Park explosion fiasco.

First, they explain a bit of background. Since the tragic marathon bombing in Boston on Monday, apparently Seattle Police Department's Arson/Bomb Squad (ABS) has been going around town to check out a half-dozen suspicious bags or devices around the city. So far, they haven't turned up anything, but ABS Sergeant Jim Hansen says ”When there’s a major event around the country, people become more vigilant.” Bags examined so far have contained hair dryers, wires or left behind luggage, writes Jonah Spangenthal-Lee.

Which brings us to last night at the Ballard Corners Park. At around 8:30 p.m., neighbors spotted a man dressed in a dark-colored hoody walking down a street near Ballard Corners Park, at NW 62nd Street and 17th Avenue NW, collecting items from trash cans. Apparently, neighbors saw the man “dancing and talking to himself” as he walked into the park, where he embarked on an ambitious science project, assembling a suspicious-looking item made of several pieces of metal sheeting, tent poles, wires and tape. When he was done, he left the device on the park bench and walked off.

ABS detectives concluded that the device didn't actually contain any explosives but that it was built to resemble some sort of bomb. They destroyed the device (the explosions that were heard? We'll check), collected components as evidence and are now investigating the case, Spangenthal writes.

Spangenthal continues, "The man who assembled the strange metal display in the park could face felony charges as 'malicious placement of a hoax device' is a class c felony in Washington, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine."

Original

We received a report from a Ballard News-Tribune reader that there were two loud explosions last night around Ballard Corners Park and that police were detonating a suspicious package. Here's the note she sent us:

"Please would you check this out for me? I live across the street from Ballard Corners Park on 62nd and 17th. Last night there were 2 loud explosions. My neighbor said it was the police detonating to suspisious packages. Can you tell me anything more and why weren't people told about it who live closeby???"

We called SPD and they confirmed the event and said they were working on a report. We'll have that shortly.

Zachariah Bryan can be reached at zachb@robinsonnews.com

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