MAJOR WHOOPS BY LAPD BOMB SQUAD

b y Bob Walsh

You may recall a couple of weeks back an LAPD bomb truck was destroyed in a neighborhood by a fireworks explosion.  The explosion injured people and damaged a lot of houses in the area.  It turns out to be likely to have been caused by a whoops by the bomb squad.

The truck is rated to be able to contain an explosion of up top 25 pounds of common explosives such as the black powder used in fireworks.  The bomb squad believed they had loaded 16 pounds into the truck and intentionally detonated it.  In fact they put 42 pounds in.  Five people from the bomb squad have been removed from the squad as a result of this incident.

Nine law enforcement officers were injured in the explosion as were six civilians.  35 buildings and 37 vehicles were badly damaged or destroyed in the explosion.  

Some of the explosives that they had confiscated were leaking and a decision was made to detonate them on site rather than transport them.  

Among other things, since the explosion, the decision to detonate on site must now be made by a Captain or higher authority.

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LAPD Chief Says Weight Miscalculation Likely Led To Massive Fireworks Blast in South LA

 

LAPPL News Watch

July 20, 2021

 

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore issued an apology Monday for a fireworks explosion in a South L.A. neighborhood last month which injured 17 people and damaged several homes. He also revealed that bomb squad technicians likely miscalculated the weight of the explosives that were placed in the truck. 

 

Moore gave the apology Monday morning outside LAPD headquarters at a news conference held with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. “I want to personally express my apologies to every resident, business operator and customer that was traumatically impacted by this incident,” Moore said. 

 

The botched explosion occurred on the night of June 30 at East 27th and San Pedro streets. The LAPD had discovered about 32,000 pounds of illegal fireworks at a nearby home and arrested a 27-year-old man who lived there. 

 

Moore said the illegal fireworks included about 200 M-80 style explosives. Ten pounds of the illegal fireworks – which were deemed too dangerous to travel with — were placed in a specialized armored truck designed for controlled detonations. However, what was supposed to be a controlled detonation instead turned into a massive explosion. 

 

Ten LAPD officers, one ATF officer and six civilians were hurt.