17 hurt in failed ‘controlled detonation’ of illegal fireworks, California cops say

At least 17 people were injured, including cops, after Los Angeles police tried to securely detonate illegal fireworks but ended up creating a large blast that damaged nearby homes and cars, according to authorities.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said police were responding to a report at a Los Angeles home Wednesday night and found thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks and “improvised explosive devices,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

Moore said police detonated the explosives in a semi-truck that was meant to contain the blast, but “there was a total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle,” according to the publication.

“Clearly, protocols were followed and pursued. But something happened in that containment vessel that should not have happened and we don’t know why,” Moore said, according to the Associated Press. “But we intend to find out why.”

The explosion shattered windows in nearby homes, cars and a laundromat, and a car was knocked to its side, the AP reported.

Nine LAPD officers and a federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent were injured in addition to three people who had moderate injuries and three with minor injuries, officials said, according to NBC News. One other person was treated at the scene but wasn’t take to a hospital.

A 27-year-old man was arrested and accused of transferring explosives from out of state for the July Fourth weekend, Moore said, according to NBC. The man was charged with possession of a destructive device and could face child endangerment charges because he has a 10-year-old brother who lives in the home where the explosives were found, according to the police chief.

This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 8:08 AM with the headline "17 hurt in failed ‘controlled detonation’ of illegal fireworks, California cops say."