WAIT, WHAT? Tennessee deputy shoots at ‘bomb’ hooked by fisherman

Fishermen in Tennessee hooked what they thought was a “bomb” while fishing a pond near Camden, Tennessee.  So the men call the law and a sheriff’s deputy comes out.  The lawman reportedly confirms that it is an explosive, specifically Tannerite and that it has a fuse attached.

Really?

Maybe the deputy just thought, “hey, this is a chance to have some excitement!”  So he brought out his police patrol rifle.

After firing three shots, the deputy and the fishermen apparently jointly conclude that the “bomb” was too waterlogged to explode.

But as far as I know, Tannerite doesn’t go boom with fire or a wick.

And if Mr. Deputy really thought it was Tannerite, why didn’t he simply remove the lid and pour the contents out on the ground to render it utterly safe.  After all, it’s effectively ammonium nitrate fertilizer.

In my younger days, I’ve done some foolish things with Tannerite.  It’s a lot of fun when used sort of like directed.  But mixing large quantities and then putting it inside things is, well, very risky.   The story didn’t say just how big this “bomb” was, but when placed in large containers, it does make a big boom.

As for calling the law over a canister of Tannerite?  Are these like the Brits who call the cops when they find an old rifle cartridge?

Here’s the story:

CAMDEN, Tenn. (WSMV) – Fishermen casting their line in a pond near Camden this weekend made an alarming discovery when they hooked a homemade bomb, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies responded to a report of a “suspicious item” over the weekend. When they arrived, the 911 caller said he hooked what appeared to be a homemade bomb. A responding deputy confirmed it was a homemade bomb made of Tannerite, with a fuse attached, that seemingly didn’t go off.

A deputy tried to shoot it three times to detonate it, the sheriff’s office said, but it was deemed too waterlogged to explode.