Discarded Insulin Pump Triggers Bomb Squad Response At Princeton's Palmer Square

PRINCETON, NJ - A discarded insulin pump prompted a New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad response and a roughly two-and-a-half-hour closure of Princeton's Palmer Square early Monday morning, after a suspicious device was discovered in a garbage can, police said.

Around 12:04 a.m. police responded to a report of a suspicious sound coming from a garbage can on Hulfish Street after Palmer Square management alerted officers to the location.

Officers found what appeared to be frayed wiring protruding from an item inside the can and detected a continuous high-pitched noise, police said.

Out of an abundance of caution, officers secured the area and requested assistance from the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad. Nearby residences were notified and evacuated, and Nassau Inn guests staying in rooms near the scene were relocated to another area of the building while the investigation was conducted.

After a thorough evaluation, the bomb squad determined the device was a battery-operated insulin pump that had been discarded in the garbage can. It was found to be non-hazardous and the area was deemed safe.

Vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the Palmer Square area was restricted for around two and a half hours before police reopened the area and allowed residents and hotel guests to return.

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