A Forest Park resident who found a grenade in the basement of his new home brought the weapon into the Forest Park Police Department, Monday afternoon, prompting officials to evacuate the building and the neighboring village hall building.
Police also closed off Desplaines Avenue from Jackson Boulevard to Madison Street, while the Cook County Bomb Squad came to remove the grenade, according to Forest Park Mayor Anthony Calderone.
The street was reopened about 3 p.m. The incident lasted no longer than an hour, Calderone said.
He said the resident and new homeowner found the grenade, “thinking the right thing to do was to bring it to the police department.”
He said the police recommend that if such objects are discovered to “call the police and let us get the necessary responders.”
“There was no ill intent on the part of the owner,” Calderone said, adding that the police evacuated employees of both buildings and kept pedestrians off the street near the police department but did not find it necessary to evacuate nearby residences.
CONTACT: tim@oakpark.com
