Local News

Suspicious Device Found On Highway 20 In Bend

 

BEND, OR -- Highway 20 (also known as Greenwood) at the base of Pilot Butte was closed for a short time, Friday, after a suspicious device was discovered near the 12th Street crosswalk. Bend Police Sgt. Tom Pine tells KBND News, "There was a call to the non-emergency dispatch center that there was a suspicious device. So, we drove over here and said, 'That could be dangerous.' We don't really know. We're going to pretend it's dangerous and try and keep everyone safe."

 

The device was surrounded by sandbags while BPD waited for the Oregon State Police Explosives Unit responded from Salem. Oregon's Department of Transportation shut down the roadway while a member of the bomb squad detonated the device, just before noon. Click HERE to hear audio from the scene. 

 

Sgt. Pine says, "The device that was reported could have potentially been dangerous. We just don't know what it is, that's why we call the OSP guys because it's an unknown to us. And, at this point, it's still an unknown. Based on the information we have, we don't know right now if it would have been a dangerous device; if it was a dangerous device." Highway 20 reopened just after noon. The investigation is ongoing. 

 

FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: Bend Police confirm the device was "authentic" and describe it as a six-inch galvenized pipe with a cap on both ends. The investigation continues, and police ask that anyone with specific information or knowledge about this specific incident to contact BPD at 541-693-6911.

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