Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Update: The case was dismissed by a judge on July 12. - - - - - -
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn. (AP) -- Screeners found a fake grenade in a 78-year-old Utah man's luggage Wednesday morning, forcing part of a terminal at Bradley International Airport to shut down for about 40 minutes, state police said.
About 500 passengers and employees were evacuated from the area between the curbside check-in and the ticket counters in one terminal until authorities determined the grenade was fake, said John Wallace, airport spokesman.
A Transportation Safety Administration screener noticed the grenade while screening a passenger's luggage at the curbside check-in just before 9:30 a.m.
State police said it appeared to be a military souvenir that could not have exploded.
They charged Harold S. Falslev of North Logan, Utah, with breach of peace. He was held on $250 bond and ordered to appear in Enfield Superior Court on July 17.
The incident, which happened during an off-peak travel time, caused some minor flight delays but no cancellations. "These were minor inconveniences, but of course safety and security of our passengers and the traveling public is the number one concern," Wallace said.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
