STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

                                                                                                          

CASE#: 22A1004292

RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Sgt. Joseph Paquette

STATION: Williston Barracks

CONTACT#: 802-878-7111

 

DATE/TIME: About 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 11, 2022

INCIDENT LOCATION: In the area of the railroad station house at Ferry Road in Charlotte, VT

INCIDENT TYPE:  Suspicious circumstances

 

ACCUSED: Under investigation

AGE:

CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE:

 

VICTIM: Vermont Rail System

 

SUMMARY OF INCIDENT:

At about 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 11, 2022, the Vermont State Police received a report from Vermont Rail System of a possible grenade located in a bird house adjacent to a path maintained for railroad service vehicles near the railway line in Charlotte. For safety purposes, train traffic, which on July 11 consisted of freight train traffic only, was temporarily suspended.

 

Troopers responded to the scene and found an item in a bird house shaped similar to the body of a hand grenade. Further assessment by the troopers and Bomb Squad personnel found the item did not contain the fusing system of a hand grenade, and the body was constructed of plastic. The item was preliminarily identified as the remains of a consumer-grade firework. It appears the firework was expended, and the remnants were collected for disposal at a later occasion. A photograph of the item in question is attached to this release.

 

With the incident resolved, train service resumed after having been suspended for about two hours.

 

The circumstances surrounding this incident remain under investigation, and no further details are available. Anyone who has information that could assist investigators is asked to call the Vermont State Police Williston Barracks at 802-878-7111, or leave an anonymous tip online at https://vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit.

 

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