Holly MatkinSkippack, PA – An explosive device unexpectedly detonated during a training exercise at a Pennsylvania prison on Thursday, injuring as many as five law enforcement agents.
The incident occurred at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) – Phoenix shortly before 10 a.m. on Sept. 15, WPVI reported.
Multiple state, county, and local law enforcement officers and department representatives were at the prison attending the training, which was hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Philadelphia field office.
A spokesperson for the prison said that Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Bomb Squad members were installing an explosive device for another class when the device “prematurely exploded,” WPVI reported.
Three MCSO Bomb Squad members, an FBI agent, and a Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) trooper were all injured in the explosion.
Officials said some of the injuries they suffered were severe, WPVI reported.
They were all immediately rushed to area hospitals.
Their conditions have not been released.
FBI Philadelphia statement on today's explosives training incident resulting in injuries. pic.twitter.com/M3pg4ppEZA
— FBI Philadelphia (@FBIPhiladelphia) September 15, 2022
A news helicopter captured images of a burned-out vehicle sitting on the prison grounds after the explosion, WPVI reported.
“There’s a lot of damage that occurs in an explosion, especially a vehicle,” retired Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) bomb technician Jackie Hickey told WPVI. “It has metal glass and a lot of debris that will come from that explosion.”
The FBI and PSP are handling the ongoing investigation into the accidental detonation, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
This is a developing story and we will keep you updated. For all of our updates, follow us on Facebook and go to your news feed preferences under your settings, then select that you want to see more of The Police Tribune’s posts in your news feed. Otherwise, Facebook may not show you updates.
