After responders handled a reported explosive at a Highland Village apartment complex, city officials say there is no threat to public safety.
The Highland Village Police Department, Highland Village Fire Department, and the Denton Bomb Squad responded to the apartments on Kennedy Avenue, behind Varia Highland Village, after 10 a.m. March 2.
“Denton County is doing an explosive recovery with their bomb squad,” the dispatcher said, according to the police scanner.
“Explosive!” Police Warn The Dallas Express
The Dallas Express drove to the scene and found responders in a parking lot outside an apartment building.
“You’ve got to stay away from this building,” a police officer told The Dallas Express reporter. “Explosive.” Another responder told the reporter to leave the area or at least move to the other end of the complex.
After the initial reports, Republican state Rep. Mitch Little inquired about the incident.
“I have visited with the City and first responders,” Little said. “This was not a threat but something more akin to a hazardous substance that was quickly and safely disposed of by law enforcement. I would suggest contacting the City or the FD for additional details, if needed.”
Little added he was “confident this is not a risk to our community.”
Antique Picric Acid Found Near Briarhill Middle School – Safely Detonated After Lockdown
Highland Village police received a call from the Denton bomb squad at 10:05 a.m. requesting help at the scene, said Director of Marketing and Communication Laurie Mullens to The Dallas Express. The city’s police and fire responded, along with the DFW Airport Bomb Squad.
“The caller purchased an antique over the weekend that contained a small amount of picric acid,” Mullens said. “Upon review of the item, it was determined to detonate the item in a safe location… The item was taken to Copperas Branch Park in Highland Village and safely detonated.”
Picric acid is a toxic chemical historically used as a military explosive. It was popular during World War I, but it was too volatile, so militaries eventually abandoned its use.
When a French military ship crashed in a Canadian harbor in 1917, the picric acid – the “most dangerous of all” its cargo – exploded into the nearby city, sending shockwaves as far as 200 miles away.
The apartment complex was near Briarhill Middle School, so responders took precautions, according to Mullens.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Highland Village Police Department placed the schools in a secure protocol where students were brought into the building where they continued normal learning,” she said. “This isolated occurrence is not criminal in nature.”