What looked like a scene out of an action flick briefly shut down part of Westminster on Friday, after a gas-station worker spotted a canister labeled as containing military-grade explosives and called for help.
Police swarmed the area, evacuating nearby businesses and residents while traffic on Maryland Route 140 came to a halt as authorities treated the suspicious item as the real deal.
Town police told WBAL that the employee found the container around 11:19 a.m. on Sullivan Road. Officers brought in bomb technicians, cleared the immediate area, and shut down roads, including MD-140, so specialists could check the canister.
Bomb squad checks canister and clears scene
By about 2:13 p.m., bomb technicians had finished their work and determined the canister was not an explosive device. Police told WBAL that there is no ongoing danger to the community, and officials cleared the scene.
Investigators say the case is still under review and that they are following leads to figure out how the canister ended up at the gas station. No injuries were reported.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Westminster Police Department tips line at 410-857-8477 or submit a tip through the city police page at Westminster Police Department.
