PECAN GAP - According to Delta County Sheriff Gerald Teague last Tuesday, March 20 at approximately 5:44 p.m. a resident of Pecan Gap contacted the Delta County Sheriff’s Office and reported that some blasting caps were found in a shed located on Main Street.
The items were found by the owners when they were doing some cleaning.
Chief Deputy Jim Lewman of the Sheriff’s Office contacted Lieutenant C.T. Payne of the Garland Bomb Unit and requested the bomb unit to make the scene. Lieutenant Payne along with Officers Tony Blassingame and Tim Mass of the unit arrived on the scene and made disposal of the items.
“There were 36 blasting caps in a box,” said Sheriff Teague in a report to the Review. “According to Lt. Payne, the caps have possibly been there for decades and the ‘older they are the more volatile they are.’ He also said that years ago it was very common for farmers to use blasting caps when clearing their land of large tree stumps.”
Officer Blassingame of Garland Bomb Unit suited up in his bomb disposal suit and detonated the blasting caps using a small charge of C-4 explosives that was set in the ground with the blasting caps. The Sheriff went on the note there was a short loud “boom” when the charge was detonated.
“One of the blasting caps was preserved to be provided to the FBI for tracer information,” said Sheriff Teague.
For a detailed video of the detonation and disposal see the Cooper Review Facebook page.