Close X
Friday, November 29, 2024
ADVT 
National

Saskatoon Police Investigate Blast At Courthouse, No Injuries Reported

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 30 Mar, 2017 12:35 PM
  • Saskatoon Police Investigate Blast At Courthouse, No Injuries Reported
SASKATOON — Police in Saskatoon are investigating the detonation of a suspected improvised explosive device at the provincial courthouse.
 
Emergency crews were called to the scene in the city's downtown just after 11 p.m. Wednesday.
 
Investigators said the blast damaged an entrance to the building which the courthouse shares, but no one was hurt.
 
Members of the police explosive disposal team were called in, along with a bomb-detection-trained dog unit.
 
Streets in the area were blocked for several hours while authorities investigated.
 
No arrests have been made.
 
Debris and a black smear on the sidewalk could be seen at the blast site, while a cover over the entrance was partially caved in.
 
A police officer told one media outlet that the ceiling was forced up by the concussive force of the explosion before it collapsed under its own weight.
 
The shatter-proof glass doorway didn't break, although the glass panels were damaged.
 
Logan Tufts, owner of The Woods Ale House in downtown Saskatoon, witnessed the explosion.
 
"It really shook me. It was really loud," he said.
 
Tufts was biking home and noticed a fire at the doors of the building. He snapped a photo and tried to reach 911, but the call didn't go through. He pulled over to a median at the intersection before trying the emergency call again as the fire grew.
 
He was looking down when the explosion occurred.
 
"When I looked up, the whole front of the door was gone," said Tufts, who was able to reach 911 immediately after the explosion. "It was pretty intense."
 
In early February, an unattended backpack was found near the courthouse containing what police said was material to make a low-level explosive device, including a Roman candle firework.
 
The police explosive disposal team later destroyed the items.

MORE National ARTICLES

Halifax Man Charged For Assaulting Distracted Texter, Police Say

Halifax Man Charged For Assaulting Distracted Texter, Police Say
Halifax Regional Police said the man punched the woman to the ground Friday afternoon after she almost bumped into him while she was texting.

Halifax Man Charged For Assaulting Distracted Texter, Police Say

Toronto Councillor Wants Pride Parade Grant Axed After Event Bans Police Floats

TORONTO — A Toronto city councillor is calling for certain funding to be cut for the city's Pride parade after the event banned police floats from future festivities.

Toronto Councillor Wants Pride Parade Grant Axed After Event Bans Police Floats

Man Flummoxed By Letter From Canada Revenue Agency Declaring Him Dead

Man Flummoxed By Letter From Canada Revenue Agency Declaring Him Dead
 A 64-year-old New Brunswick man says he is very much alive, despite being declared dead by the Canada Revenue Agency.

Man Flummoxed By Letter From Canada Revenue Agency Declaring Him Dead

Matt Whitman, Halifax City Councillor, Accused Of Racism After 'Chinese Fire Drill' Video

Matt Whitman, Halifax City Councillor, Accused Of Racism After 'Chinese Fire Drill' Video
 Police say they are looking into a video of a Halifax councillor and provincial Progressive Conservative candidate leaping from a car and laughing as he yells, "Chinese fire drill!" amid accusations that it is racially insensitive.

Matt Whitman, Halifax City Councillor, Accused Of Racism After 'Chinese Fire Drill' Video

Parole Board Denies Release To Man Who Kidnapped Girl From Calgary Mall

Parole Board Denies Release To Man Who Kidnapped Girl From Calgary Mall
Calgary radio station CHQR says it has learned that sex offender John Francis Dionne will be staying behind bars for at least another couple of years.

Parole Board Denies Release To Man Who Kidnapped Girl From Calgary Mall

Don't Mess With Our Stretch: Airline Faces Social Media Wrath From ‘Leggings’ Wearers

Don't Mess With Our Stretch: Airline Faces Social Media Wrath From ‘Leggings’ Wearers
The incident, with United's Twitter account chiming in, rolled right on through to Monday, prompting debate on whether leggings are "pants."

Don't Mess With Our Stretch: Airline Faces Social Media Wrath From ‘Leggings’ Wearers