Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Source: 3 deputies killed in explosion X-rayed grenades, thought they were inert before cutting one in half
KTLA ^ | 07/21/2025 | Will Conybeare

Posted on 07/21/2025 11:22:08 AM PDT by BenLurkin

The explosives that detonated and killed three L.A. County Sheriff’s Department deputies may have been found in a storage unit at an apartment complex in Santa Monica, a law enforcement source tells KTLA. The source then reported that authorities initially thought the explosives, military-style grenades, were inert before they cut one open the next day as part of a training exercise.

The blast occurred last Friday morning at the Biscailuz Regional Training Center in East Los Angeles.

The three deputies, Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Detective Victor Lemus and Detective William Osborn, were killed while moving “undetonated ordnance,” sources told KTLA on Friday. All three were assigned to the LASD Special Enforcement Bureau’s Arson Explosives Detail.

...

A source told KTLA that the explosives found in the apartment’s storage unit on Thursday may be what killed the deputies on Friday. It was later reported by the same source that the explosives, two military-style grenades, were X-rayed at the scene and deemed inert on Thursday.

The grenades, according to the source, had been stolen by a member of the U.S. military during their training. The three deputies loaded them into their unit and took them back to East Los Angeles.

Per the law enforcement source, on the following day, the deputies cut one of the grenades in half as a training exercise in order to examine what was inside of it thinking it would not explode; however, that is when the device detonated.

(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...


TOPICS: Local News
KEYWORDS: california; explosives; grenade; handgrenade; incompetent; inertgrenade; lasd; losangeles; losangelescounty; police; santamonica
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: Don W

I think it might have been in violation of Department policy.


21 posted on 07/21/2025 11:39:42 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Governor Dinwiddie
Not the best and brightest. X-ray or sniffer dog would have proved invaluable. Too late now.

Article did say they ha been X-Rayed at the scene.

Should have weighed them and compared against live weight AND empty weight.

I would think explosives professionals should have access to such weight data for common military ordinance since they periodically have to deal with discoveries of "souvenirs" found in Grandpa's attic.

22 posted on 07/21/2025 11:39:49 AM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

Thats’ actually in the manual!!!


23 posted on 07/21/2025 11:40:17 AM PDT by Mathews (I have faith Malachi is right!!! Any day now...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

Sounds like they were booby trapped to explode on opening by a trip wire attached to the box lid.


24 posted on 07/21/2025 11:41:09 AM PDT by DownInFlames (P)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SuperLuminal
The three deputies were killed while moving “undetonated ordnance,”

Nice catch. I didn't notice that. And I actually read the article for once. Shows you what good that does.

25 posted on 07/21/2025 11:41:23 AM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: silverleaf

My inner E-7 didn’t want to, but my inner E-4 said, “Gay if you don’t!”


26 posted on 07/21/2025 11:43:40 AM PDT by Mathews (I have faith Malachi is right!!! Any day now...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mikey_hates_everything

C4 is hard to set off, but not impossible. Nothing is idiot proof. Only idiot resistant. The ingenuity of idiots knows no bounds.


27 posted on 07/21/2025 11:43:44 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SuperLuminal
"they were “in a car”"

I am confused, too. Where did you get that they were in a car?

28 posted on 07/21/2025 11:44:40 AM PDT by TexasGator (11/I1.here is no Sharknado system)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

“Experts”.


29 posted on 07/21/2025 11:44:57 AM PDT by glorgau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

An “inert” grenade is a bit like an “loaded” gun.


30 posted on 07/21/2025 11:45:02 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

At all.


31 posted on 07/21/2025 11:45:41 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ClearCase_guy

If it were a training exercise they would be wearing bomb gear and it would be at the traing ground.


32 posted on 07/21/2025 11:46:04 AM PDT by TexasGator (11/I1.here is no Sharknado system)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: LibertyWoman

I actually knew one of the women involved. A neighbor of my sisterinlaw. And yes she is as dumb as a fence post. No one was killed, just some minor cuts and bruises. They had enough sense to be 50 feet away. Which isn’t much sense at all.


33 posted on 07/21/2025 11:47:25 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Governor Dinwiddie

Or someone that could have disassembled it safely.


34 posted on 07/21/2025 11:49:07 AM PDT by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this💩? 🚫💉! 🇮🇱👍!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
It takes more time and is inconvenient, however, it is wise to safely demil unknown source ordinance remotely, in a fragmentation containing enclosure, on a closed range.

MY Condolences.

35 posted on 07/21/2025 11:49:55 AM PDT by Navy Patriot (President Trump Decisively Won Popular & E.C., Celebrate Recivilization!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mikey_hates_everything

“””That’s the scary part. The grenades were X-rayed and determined to be inert. “”

I guess they were ert.


36 posted on 07/21/2025 11:52:02 AM PDT by shelterguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin

When the pin is pulled the grenade is no longer your friend.


37 posted on 07/21/2025 11:52:28 AM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life's tough.It's tougher when you're stupid.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BenLurkin
...military-style grenades...

After some energy intensive brain work, I have concluded that there might not be any other variety.

38 posted on 07/21/2025 11:58:28 AM PDT by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Semper Vigilantis
...just unscrew and remove the triggering mechanism...

That is the usual approach.

39 posted on 07/21/2025 11:59:40 AM PDT by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: mikey_hates_everything
The grenades were X-rayed and determined to be inert.

Seems he didn't know how to interpret that image.

40 posted on 07/21/2025 12:01:39 PM PDT by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson