Parts of CT town evacuated as bomb squad investigates pipe bomb found in river

The state bomb squad responded to Meriden on Tuesday when a pipe bomb was discovered in a river, leading to the area being evacuated.

The bomb was later disposed of after investigators determined it was “inert” and had probably been in the water for “many years,” Lieutenant Darrin McKay of the Meriden Police Department said in a statement.

According to McKay, Meriden officers were dispatched to the town’s Red Bridge, in the area of Oregon and River roads, around 10 a.m. on the report of someone finding what appeared to be a pipe bomb in the river while using a metal detector and magnet. The object was wrapped in a T-shirt at the bottom of the river.

Responding officers evacuated the area and called for the Connecticut State Police Bomb Squad after confirming that the object did appear to be a pipe bomb, McKay said.

The bomb squad confirmed the object was a pipe bomb and noted that it appeared similar to other pipe bombs found and removed years ago in the same general area in the river, according to McKay.

“The bomb was determined to be inert at this time and posed no danger once examined and removed by the bomb squad personnel,” McKay said. “This pipe bomb was most probably in the water for many years and went undiscovered at the time the bomb squad was out for a similar call years ago.

“Having been submerged in the water for so long, the pipe bomb as noted was determined to be inert and it was properly disposed of and removed by the CT State bomb squad personnel,” he said.