Renton Bomb Scare Was Over Strange Ball With Wire Sticking Out

RENTON, WA - A major intersection in the Renton Highlands area was closed Sunday afternoon for more than two hours due an investigation into a suspicious device. But the device turned out to be nothing more than a plastic ball filled with wires and metal shavings, police said.

Around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, police closed and evacuated the intersection of Union Avenue Northeast and Northeast 4th Street. The Port of Seattle bomb squad responded to the scene, as did Renton police and Renton firefighters.

Renton Commander David Liebman told Patch that the bomb squad x-rayed the device twice and then cut it open. Liebman described the object as a "round, clear plastic object about the size as a baseball" filled with metal shavings and with a black wire sticking out.

Needless to say, the bomb squad determined it was not at risk of exploding. Investigators are going to try and pull fingerprints off the object to find out who made it.

Image via Renton Regional Fire Authority