June 7, 2020 – Village of Richfield, WI – On Saturday, June 6, 2020, at 7:55 PM, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a suspicious device a Village of Richfield resident located in her mailbox.
Sheriff Deputies responded to the 6500 block of County Line Road to investigate. The device appeared to be some type of improvised explosive device or possibly a homemade firework. There was black charring inside the mailbox. The device was intact. The device was approximately 8 inches in length and had a diameter of approximately 1 inch.
The device was tapered at one end. The wider end had what appeared to be a 1-inch wick sticking out. The device was wrapped completely in electrical tape.
Out of an abundance of caution the Washington County Sheriff’s Office requested the assistance from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD). Milwaukee County EOD responded to the scene and conducted an X-ray of the device. Milwaukee County EOD determined the device was a “sparkler bomb.” This is best described as eight sparklers wrapped in electrical tape.
Any residents locating similar devices please notify the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for proper disposal. For safety reasons please do not manipulate the device. A deputy can visually examine the device and then determine proper disposal.