Possible ‘improvised firework’ closes I-40, Knoxville police say
The interstate was closed for more than an hour before officers opened the lanes back up.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville Police Department officers briefly closed all lanes of I-40 East near Pellissippi Parkway Friday morning while they investigated a “suspicious package.” In a later update, Scott Erland with KPD confirmed that the package was a “small improvised explosive device.” When asked for further clarification, Erland said the device appeared to be an “improvised firework.”
The interstate was closed for more than an hour before officers opened the lanes back up. During the closure, Bomb Squad personnel removed the device for safe disposal. Bomb Squad personnel said that had the device gone off, it would not have caused any significant damage.
At this time, KPD investigators are not sure where the device came from or how long it was on the interstate.
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