Grenade-shaped perfume bottle caused evacuation at Ohio courthouse
It was shaped like a World War II-era pineapple grenade and even had a cap and a pin.
A bomb-sniffing dog alerted to its unusual scent.
But the suspicious object in a suitcase that closed an Ohio courthouse for most of the day on Tuesday was actually a perfume bottle, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer and KCTV.
The drama began around 8 a.m., when a woman who may have been homeless brought several suitcases packed with belongings into the Hamilton County Courthouse. Security personnel spotted the grenade-like object on a scanner.
About 20 minutes later, the courthouse was evacuated and traffic was diverted away from the building.
As judges, lawyers and court workers waited outside, two robots eventually entered and opened the suitcase containing the perfume bottle. By about 11 a.m., court administrators had closed the building for the day. An hour later, authorities had determined no threat existed, a county sheriff’s spokesman said.
“This obviously puts a huge crimp in the justice system in Hamilton County to come to a screeching halt like this just as court is starting in the morning,” said former prosecutor Mike Allen, who is now a legal analyst for the station. “Everyone will have to continue their docket. It’s a royal mess.”
