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Improvised explosive device caused car explosion in Barrie, police say
Barrie police say they are investigating after a car exploded in a parking lot and an improvised explosive device was found in a garden nearby early Wednesday.
No one was injured in the overnight blast but the discovery of the exploded car and unexploded device prompted police to evacuate a nearby apartment complex, particularly units that faced the lot, police say.
Residents who live in the apartment complex were moved to city transit buses, while residents living in the area were asked to shelter in place.
The car and the device were found on Anne Street, near Edgehill Drive and northwest of Highway 400. Police were alerted to the explosion shortly before 3 a.m. by several 911 calls.
Police believe an improvised explosive device was placed near the gas tank of the car that exploded and that the second device may have been attached to the first.
In a news release on Wednesday, police said officers established a perimeter after they found the car and device, closed roads in the area and notified residents through social media of an "ongoing police investigation."
Members of the Barrie police explosive disposal unit remotely detonated the IED in a controlled explosion at about 8:30 a.m.
'Not everyday where you have a situation like this'
Peter Leon, corporate communications coordinator for the Barrie Police Service, said on Wednesday that residents have been patient and understanding about the situation even though the road closures restricted traffic in the area.
"It's not everyday where you have a situation like this," Leon told CBC Toronto. "The investigation is very much in the early stages. We've had detectives on scene literally since the early hours this morning."
Leon declined to provide specific details about the device itself but said police "pushed all the buttons we needed to" on Wednesday to keep the community safe.
"Improvised explosive devices — we've seen them. We've seen the impact that they can have, certainly in wartime situations. We don't want things like this happening in our community," he said.
Leon said officers will canvas the buildings and check for surveillance video. Anyone with dashboard camera video, particularly of a vehicle leaving the scene at high speed or a vehicle out of place early Wednesday, is urged to come forward.
Police are expected to scale back the road closures in stages as the investigation continues.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/barrie-police-improvised-explosive-device-1.6980273