Article Contributed on: 7/21/2009 4:12:20 PM
On Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. the Arvada Police responded to the Goodwill store located at 7547 W. 80th Avenue, after store employees reported finding a suspicious package in one of their drop off bins.
Employees advised police the package appeared to be some type of a mine, or explosive device. The device was found by an employee familiar with military explosive devices.
Officers evacuated the businesses in the strip mall surrounding the Goodwill store, while members of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad worked to identify and dispose of the device.
The device was identified as a Claymore mine. It is unknown at this time whether the device was functional. The Claymore is a directional anti-personnel mine used by the military. It fires shrapnel in the form of steel balls, out to about 100 meters in front of the device. It is used primarily in ambushes and as an anti-infiltration device against enemy infantry.
The device was disposed of, and no one was injured during the incident.
An investigation is underway to determine who left the package at the store.
Sgt. Jeff Monzingo
Arvada Police Department