At 10:45 a.m. on Friday, March 18, 2022 South Hilo patrol officers responded to a call about the discovery of a possible hand grenade located in the 500 block of Kanoelehua Avenue in Hilo. An excavation company came across the device while digging a hole in the ground for a utility pole.  

Determining that the device resembled an old military-style hand grenade, responding officers conducted an evacuation of the immediate area and contacted the department’s bomb squad.

Upon the bomb squad’s arrival, a partial road closure of the north bound lane of Kanoelehua Avenue was implemented. Bomb squad technicians determined the hand grenade was safe to be moved for disposal and took it to a disposal range for destruction.

No other ordnance was located in the area. There were no injuries in this incident.  

Police are taking this opportunity to remind Hawai‘i Island residents who may find explosives to leave them alone and immediately call the Hawaii Police Department at 911 or the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311.