Area Safe After Grenade Found in Fort Lee, Police Say

An Englewood man brought a World War II-era grenade and ammunition to Fort Lee police headquarters late Wednesday morning, prompting a response from the county bomb squad, authorities said.

David Carmel said he found the grenade along with a “military style box of assorted handgun ammunition” while cleaning out his brother’s Park Place apartment, police reported. Carmel told a supervisor at the station he had the explosive in the trunk of his car at a nearby parking lot shortly after 10:15 a.m.

Authorities blocked off the area and called in Fort Lee firefighters along with the Bergen County Police Department’s Bomb Squad, which determined the explosive was a training grenade with the fuse removed, according to a police.

“The Police Department was never evacuated and Mr. Carmel never made any threats towards the Police Department,” Fort Lee Capt. Thomas Ottina said in a statement.

Bomb squad offers safely removed more ammunition from the Park Place apartment, police said. Nearby residents were never in danger and the building was not evacuated.

Officials cleared the scene around 11:30 a.m.

“The Fort Lee Police Department wants to remind residents that if they come across ammunition or explosives to please leave them where they are and contact your local Police Department for proper disposal,” Ottina said. “No one should transport ammunition or explosives in their vehicle.”