Investigation Ongoing State Patrol Explosives Unit responds to devices found in Raymond

Photo by Ezra McCampbell - The Washington State Patrol Bomb Tech examines the box housing the explosives as he prepares to remove it from the back of the vehicle.

A potentially dangerous situation was avoided without incident when a bomb threat turned out to be neutralized by the Washington State Patrol Explosives Unit in Raymond last Wednesday afternoon.

It all started when a male resident showed up at the Raymond Police station with what he believed to be three small homemade explosive devices in the bed of his truck.

"The subject found them in his shop (a detached garage) that a relative was using in the Mill Creek area and decided to bring them to RPD to turn them in," Raymond Police Chief Chuck Spoor told the Herald last Wednesday. "One was a rat rap (toe popper) type device and the other was a pipe bomb type device. Washington State Bomb squad was called. As it turns out there were no explosive materials present."

According to the Pacific County Chief Criminal Deputy Pat Matlock the man explained that he "believed that a relative had built them while staying at the residence and had left them behind when he moved."

"Raymond Police Department officers, as well as South Bend Police Department, and Pacific County Sheriff officers initially responded, contacted Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad and set a perimeter," Spoor said.

"South Bend Police Department was on the scene assisting the Raymond Police Department and Pacific County Sheriff's Office with the bomb call," SBPD Chief Lucas Stigall told the Herald.

The Washington State Patrol Explosives Unit was called to the situation and they provided officers with some intelligence regarding the devices and that they would be responding to the incident location with an estimated time of arrival 90 minutes. Other law enforcement officers were summoned and a safety perimeter was created in accordance with the anticipated blast path if the devices were to activate.

"The Washington State Patrol Explosives Unit arrived and members began to assess the situation," Matlock informed. "The unit was able to safely remove the devices from the bed of the truck that they were transported in. The unit then systematically disarmed the devices and deemed them inoperable. Two of the homemade devices were found to be capable of detonation but hadn't been charged with any explosive. The third device was deemed to be a homemade smoke bomb. The devices were cataloged as evidence and the area was reopened to the public."

According to Matlock, "Later that evening, deputies and officers served a search warrant upon a residence located in the 300 block of Mill Creek road within Pacific County after gathering more information and interviewing witnesses. The search warrant was a continuation of the incident that had been investigated earlier regarding the explosive devices brought to the Police Department. No arrests have been made and the case investigation is ongoing."

"Agency and public cooperation during this incident were vital," Matlock added. "The Sheriff's Office, the Raymond Police Department, the South Bend Police Department, the Washington State Patrol, the Pacific County Communications Center, the Raymond Fire Department, and several citizens and city employees helped or assisted one way or another during this incident."

Chief Spoor added, "I appreciate the close working relationship we have with our neighboring agencies, we work very closely in these trying situations," Spoor added. "We are also very thankful to have the expertise and experience of the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad at our disposal."