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 ...
Movies bother me in disarming bomb scenes when unnecessary people are standing around watching, shouldn’t protocol be that others don’t stand around watching during certain actions or steps?
That headline must be DEI inspired.
Could have unscrewed the detonator and just looked inside.
Did someone check to make sure that the x-ray machine was plugged in?
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t take the grenade to a field/range, pull the pin, and find out the old-fashioned way if it is live or inert. Such a shame that such good men died this way.
That takes a primary explosive, like a blasting cap. No C4 in a grenade. That is TNT.
That depends upon if you want to take ‘em with you. ;-D
We used to unscrew the fuse, pull the pin and toss. Neat firecracker and now an inert grenade.
Grunts were always coming back giving us M26 grenades with the pin pulled and electrical tape holding the spoon down. Pin could have corroded I suppose
The newer baseball shaped grenade (M33) fuse did not unscrew easily so we just collected them.
Rumor had it they were anti-tamper.
The article says they x-rayed the grenades at the scene where they were found before they were even moved. From the X-ray, it was determined they were inert.
With all that metal on the outside x-ray won’t tell you anything about the inside. And even if it’s inert residue will probably trigger the sniffer dog. There’s really only 1 way to make sure a grenade is inert: disassemble it, the as designed no sparks anywhere it disassembly method. And that should be done by 1 person, in blast proof room, alone, no distractions. Any other method is just asking for trouble.
Qualifies for a Darwin.
wy69
Same difference. Still needs primary ignition
For modern stuff, yes but for the WW2 stuff, my understanding is that get's risky.
Although, I see YouTube videos of WWII relic hunters in Eastern Europe seemingly casually unscrewing fuzes and detonators from their finds.
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With all that metal on the outside x-ray won’t tell you anything about the inside.
—————AI
The role of X-ray in identifying grenades
Penetration and visualization: X-ray systems are crucial for examining the internal components of grenades without the need for physical handling. They can penetrate the thick metal casing, allowing EOD technicians to visualize the fuzing system and the presence or absence of explosives.
Advanced imaging techniques:
Modern X-ray systems, such as 3D X-ray with CT capabilities, provide even more detailed images and reconstructions of potential explosive devices, helping to identify bombs and IEDs more accurately.
Importance in security and safety: Accurate identification of live versus inert grenades is vital for security personnel and first responders to make informed decisions and ensure public safety.
Nay. Two very different explosives.
Darwin…Long Dead and still active!!
From all the early news reports saying that a car exploded...
The happy way is to pull the pin and throw the sucker behind actual "cover". I love the sound they make.
A very stupid and pointless decision that killed three men.
I’d still rather unscrew it. And I’m betting none of these guys were actual EOD techs, they’d know not to cut them with anything that might spark. Also “x-rayed at the scene”, so probably not the best x-ray machine in the world.
It’s parallel to gun safety, you always assume a gun is loaded until you’ve made it not. Always assume a grenade is live until you’ve made it not... without sparks.
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