A typical routine traffic stop can sometimes turn into a much more serious incident. On Tuesday, July 21, deputies in Santa Cruz stopped a vehicle on Freedom Blvd when a police K9 detected something strange coming from the car. Deputies promptly searched the vehicle and found more than just a pipe bomb, while the suspected attempted to flee the scene.
Deputies discover more than just a bomb in the vehicle
At around 4:00 p.m., deputies uncovered numerous suspicious objects from a car after being alerted by a K9, according to a post by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office on its official Facebook page.
During the search, law enforcement found not only a pipe bomb, but a loaded gun and suspected narcotics. The unnamed driver tried to escape, but deputies detained the suspect after a brief struggle without further incident.
However, due to the bomb threat, a section of Freedom Blvd from Bowker to Corralitos was closed down. The bomb team responded to the incident and helped dispose of the device, detonating it safely. The road reopened about four hours later at around 7:45 p.m.
Commenters were concerned about what the suspect was going to do with the bomb. One wrote, “Makes me wonder, with a loaded gun and a pipe bomb, what was their intended target? I’m guessing that traffic stop just saved some lives.”
Another user said that it’s not unusual for a regular traffic stop like this to turn into a much greater incident: “There is a reason there is a saying [in] law enforcement – the felony tail light. A simple traffic stop for a small moving or equipment violation like having a tail light or license plate light out can turn into a lot more … The OKC bomber was stopped for not having a license plate on his car less than two hours after the bombing.”
Others congratulated the K9 for sniffing out the bomb and hoped that the dog received a big steak as a reward.
