A 68-year-old Juneau resident was sent to Bartlett Regional Hospital last night after a pressure bomb exploded in his hand, according to a press release from the Juneau Police Department.
The release stated that JPD received a call at 9:50 p.m. Thursday from a man on Jennifer Drive reporting an injury to his hand, caused by a bottle left in his driveway. JPD responded and spoke with the man, who said he saw a suspicious vehicle in the area, went outside to investigate and found a bottle in his driveway. The release stated he picked the item up, only to have it explode in his hand shortly thereafter.
The man later sought medical treatment at the BRH for the injury.
JPD stated that a pressure bomb is comprised of a plastic container with compounds inside used to create a mechanical explosion.
The investigation into this case is continuing. Anyone with information in this incident is encouraged to contact JPD at 586-0600.
The Juneau Police Department would like to remind citizens that these types of devices are an explosion hazard, unpredictable, and could cause serious injury or death.
Comments (30)
Add commentHmmm, seems we have a new
Hmmm, seems we have a new crop of idiots...
Hope the gentleman is alright. Surely a crappy thing to have happen when you think you are just cleaning up someone elses junk...
not new
there was a warning issued not long ago regarding this very thing. there were a few of these found in the street and mailboxes in the same area. i can't remember where i saw the warning it was either the empire or JPD website.
Well this is just plain
Well this is just plain saddening. I'm glad this man is alright, but what happens if the next person to pick up one of these little mini-bombs ends up getting killed? I hope they catch these morons ASAP and charge them with attempted murder.
Pipe bombs / fireworks are
Pipe bombs / fireworks are being set off in the valley near homes and it is getting worse each year.
It should be illegal to set them off because they are hazardous. I know a number of people have told CBJ about this problem, lets hope CBJ listens now.
And WHY???
What if it was a child who picked it up??? I really hope the man is ok and that these incidences don't start happening regularly!
Exactly!
My toddler picks up everything out of curiosity. I know federal agents are available to help with drug cases. Sure would be great to have the FBI help with this. This should not be swept under the rug. What caused this poor man an injury to his hand could have blown off a child's hand or killed them!
Are we talking about a plastic soda bottle with a breath mint???
First and foremost, I hope the Gentleman is O.K.. BUT, I do not think it is quite time to call the Juneau bong squad or the FBI when we are talking soda bottles and breath mints. I hope these incidents are not being classified as real bombs and the kids who did it are not labeled terrorists. If the "compound" in the soda bottle was soda pop, and the "detonator" was a piece of candy, I wish the Empire would just say so and not freak people out.
what is the difference?
if it explodes and injures someone, then it shouldn't matter what caused it to explode. It was a malicious act that had an intent to injure.
We heard it on the radio this morning and talked to the kids about it while we listened. Hopefully they will not become the next victims.....
CBJ says that the public
CBJ says that the public cannot be exposed to dog poop or second hand cigarette smoke because they are hazardous to public health but the use of explosive fireworks & pipe bombs are ok. To get fireworks above the trees requires the use of a pipe. Our kids are being taught at a young age how to build these things, that setting them off in residential areas next to our homes is ok. Its not ok.
"They always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."
- Andy Warhol
call the Mayor
Hank, this device injured a
Hank, this device injured a man! Wether it was a bottle of soda and mints or a bottle of diesel and fertilizer, it was dangerous and injured someone. Who ever left it there needs to be held accountable!
I would also like to point out that bottle bombs can be made with house hold chemicals and can be highly explosive and volitile, it is not just soda and mints that cause a violent reaction.
Agreed
You are right. It is/was very bad. I just don't want it "blown" out of proportion as to what it was. It was a dangerous prank gone terribly wrong.
hanklive
Ok Hank, you don't want these called explosives and don't want these kids labeled terrorists. I don't care what they are labeled, inmate for 10+ years sounds good to me. They intentionally harmed a random person near a school. This isn't an, "I accidently ran someone over because my cell phone rang." That would be negligence. This is a willful act of harm on a random adult/child.
They better hope I don't see them dump something like this somewhere because they will be praying JPD arrives quickly! I shouldn't have to worry about my children picking up something they see as junk art and ending up in the ER!!!
We should ban the ownership
We should ban the ownership or possession of plastic bottles in Juneau.
Good grief. CBJ is
Good grief. CBJ is encouraging the activity of bomb making. They have turned a blind eye even though many people are complaining about the loud explosions. They think its one big joke Kids try to out do each other. Google cherry bombs and take a look. Why are they doing it ? Because they can. Because their parents are doing it. CBJ is ignoring the problem. When a child picks up one of these things and it kills them or they get injured by an explosive firework it is CBJs fault becuase they have been asked to do somehting about the use of explosives. They know this is going on and I am tired of it! Here we are druging our pets so people can make bombs.
dry ice is serious business,
dry ice is serious business, plastic bottles are not to blame! ban dry ice!
Nasty things
I made these with friends about 15 years ago.
No, they're not fueled by breath mints. They can be nasty. We would shake them up and toss them over the wood fence to an empty lot, then run. Not because it would blast through the fence, but because the bang would attract attention. Still, I wouldn't want to be holding one in my hand when it went off.
We need more...
For young adults to do in this town. Kids are getting bored, and this is cheap entertainment to them. I'm not labeling teens, I have 3, but they are bored. Unless they get involved in school activities or sports they are out getting in trouble.
This makes me very nervous, because when I'm walking my dog or my dad is walking his, we both pic up other peoples trash to make Juneau a cleaner place. I'll be checking very carefully before I go picking up plastic bottles anymore.
Juneau Empire, could you please give us an update on the gentleman that was injured. I hope he heals quickly.
It’s easy to defer
It’s easy to defer responsibility to the person above or below you but this community has to hold those at the top responsible, because they are.
When more people get hurt by the growing use of explosives in our community it will be harder for our Mayor to distance himself from the consequences of ignoring the many complaints raised by the public. Allowing the use of explosive fireworks and the resulting storage of this material in people’s homes is a real bad policy for CBJ to stand by.
This past New Year's explosive fireworks pummeled my poor family for hours. It was also a notable increase in duration and noise level from last New Year’s explosions. I wonder what is in store for us this 4th of July or what about next New Year’s celebrations?
Is it fair to those that are frightened by the noise, what about those that worry about their child's safety while out walking a pet in their neighborhood during the holidays?
Imagine an explosive firework goes off & hits a child. What if a firework goes off & the dog, the child is walking, bolts & runs into the street dragging the child behind and a truck happens to be driving by? I see small children out walking big dogs in my neighborhood all the time. Our neighborhoods are supposed to be a safe place for our children.
My point is that the fireworks are too loud and dangerous to allow in our neighborhoods. They are putting all of us at risk for serious injury.
What do we want as a community?
Do you want your child or someone else’s child to think that using explosive material and making explosives is an acceptable activity?
Bored
Only boring people get bored.
Whatever happened...
Whatever happened to putting dog poop in a small paper bag, setting it on a front porch away from other combustibles, lighting it on fire, ringing the doorbell and running to hide in the bushes and watch what happens?
Quieter, less potential for injury, less disruptive to the entire neighborhood, and much funnier than pressure bombs and fireworks.
Kids, ask your favorite black sheep uncles and aunts about the old school (and safer) ways of being a prankster!
Where was the public hearing
Where was the public hearing and notification that the use of explosives would be allowed next to your home?
There was none.
This sounds like solid
This sounds like solid crystal drain-o and aluminum foil stuff right here. Unpredictable when they go off and about the same force as a seal bomb.
Parent Responsibilities....
It is Parents that need to Step Up here, and take Responsibility for the Actions of their Children. If their children are endangering others, Where are the Parents? Why are you calling for writing of LAWs, when you should be calling for Parents to take responsibility for their children. It isn't the Soda Bottles fault, OR the Breath Mints, or even if it was a REAL Explosive... it is SQUARELY the Parents, that are to blame, for NOT supervising their Children... Energetic Materials are all around us, even if YOU do NOT recognize them, in our own Homes and Garages. They are sold in every Grocery Store, and Hardware store in town. You can't write enough Statutes to cover them ALL, but you CAN hold Parents Responsible. If these folks are over 18 years Old, then they are Personally Responsible, and can be held responsible, for their actions. I have been in the Energetic Materials Science Biz for over five decades, and got my start as a Punk Kid, in Grade School. It because a vocation in High School, a Study in College, and a career in a Previous Lifetime. All of my children went thru that phase, but were supervised, by my wife, and I, while there was childhood interest. None of them, turned out to be Terrorists, or even Bad Citizens, as they are ALL Grown and gone, with children of their own. It is the same with Firearms. All my children were given instruction, in age appropriate Weapons Technology, while growing up. They ALL were given the 22LR Rifle, of their choice, at Age 12, and the Handgun, of their choice, at age 21. This has been Family Policy in my family, going back 5 generations, and is going forward Still. Responsible Parents are the Key to making children into Responsible Citizens, and there is no better way to make this happen. It doesn't take a Village, all it takes is responsible Parents, and a Government that makes that Policy, happen..... Grow Up Parents and Step up to your Responsibilities, as such....
I am sorry burhamer, but you
I am sorry burhamer, but you and people like you, are what is wrong with this once great country. First of all, it is not CBJ's responsibility to be a parent or babysitter of anyone's child. It is not the responsibility of government at any level to over regulate or otherwise legislate the activity of the masses to accommodate the needs or wants of a few. It is not the city, state or federal govt's place to raise our children. Keep an eye on your damn kids and be involved in what they are doing and you won't have kids blowing crap up!
Second, I am sorry if you are "afraid" of the noise fireworks make (not really). The 4th of July and New Years have always been associated with fireworks, it's nothing new. That is the way those of us who are proud of our great nation celebrate our independence from tyranny and oppression! Now people like you want to again oppress the masses because you don't like the noise.... cry me a river! Here is what you can do, skip the walk with your dog on those two nights of the year you still have 363 days of the year to peacefully do it! Stay inside, close your curtains and turn on CNN full blast and you won't hear others cheerfully celebrating in their own way! If you don't like that, I heard fireworks are banned in the people's republic of California! Something tells me you would fit right in!!!
To continue my rant.... if
To continue my rant.... if your child can not control the dog that he/she is walking and is at risk of being "pulled" into traffic by that dog then maybe your kid shouldn't be walking that dog! Once again, you would rather CBJ step in to regulate/legislate others to minimize the dangers of your child walking a dog too big for them then to use your judgment and say to your self; Self, maybe I shouldn't let my child walk a dog that is too big for him to control!
Personal accountability means NOTHING to people anymore!
@ BTPost and Really - Yes
@ BTPost and Really - Yes parents do need to take responsibility I agree. However, we also live in a municipality that has a huge responsibility it’s called public safety. We pay taxes for this service because we want laws that work to protect us (the public) from the irresponsible actions of others. This is why most of us choose to live in a municipality. We want the actions that pose a threat to public safety, that could cause us injury to be regulated.
In addition the fact that we all pay taxes means that we should have a say in what activities are allowed near our homes. Wouldn't you agree?
And Really why should so many people in Juneau be disenfranchised from enjoying the holidays in their own homes because of explosives? Don't these people have a right to enjoy the holidays to? I think so. I also really do not like the fact that when people do speak out about the problems they have with explosive fireworks that they are treated so badly. These people are really victims. A victim is: a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action.
Really - how many hours or days would it be ok for YOU to suffer or for someone YOU love to suffer? One hour, two hours, 6 hours? One day, two days, 6 days?
Think of someone you love... close your eyes.... and imagine that person, perhaps your mother, being forced to hide in her home (or flee) during the holidays because of the explosives going off next to her home for hours on end for days at a time..... this is happening to many people in Juneau
Big difference between fireworks and bombs
Fireworks in the wrong hands can be dangerous and maybe bothersome to a few people a couple days a year. A random explosive of any kind left to injure an unexpecting citizen is and should be treated as a serious matter-because IT IS a serious matter.
These devices are unpredictable. As unpredictable as the new "designer drugs" that are being focused on by the Feds. Lets thank God that this man wasn't seriously injured. Let's us thank God that a young child didn't lose a tiny little hand or even their life.
I will say that had this happened in my driveway, I would be making the biggest fuss and calling every city, state and federal representative I could get ahold of.
Front page news the past few days regarding the teenagers who allegedly set fire to a park in the middle of the night shouldn't take more news space than a gosh darn explosive. I really hope that the crime line isn't the main focus of this investigation. Use DNA, fingerprints, footprints-whatever they can and catch this "prankster" and let him face the consequences of their actions before someone else gets hurt. Meth pots, explosives, and dirty needles littering our community. This needs to be handled and handled fast!
What driving force is there
What driving force is there in our municipality that works to encourage our youth to make exploding devices?
Is there a restraining force that could be used to discourage the activity?
Is there something ....anything that we could do now to discourage more youth from making exploding devices?
**********************************************
Fairreader - What sort of behavior are we encouraging when we go with “maybe bothersome to a few people a couple days a year" - but who cares about them?
The message is whoever mixes the most explosive materials to make their fireworks louder, brighter, and go higher while having no empathy for others is the winner.
Hmm
Seen the plastic bomb bottle recipe one day on the internet news (can't remember the source sorry), next day it was in the Juneau empire as news because somebody is injured because somebody made use of that recipe. I am guessing the person(s) probably saw the same article.
Why there is no law or at least news ethic saying we should not publish this kind of stuff because it WILL lead to trouble in the form of copy-cat is beyond me.
Remember the Tylenol (capsule) juggernaut and how many copy-cat idiots came out of the woodwork to do the same? Or the anthrax letters.....on and on.
Wow
Has Coward written all over it, could be the same people that give you thumbs down on your post for no apparent reason, seems like cowardly clowns hang together.