California Driver Tosses Live Grenade Out of Stolen Vehicle During Police Chase, Cops Say
A California man was arrested on Friday after authorities say he engaged in some very unexpected activity during a car chase: according to police, he tossed a live hand grenade from a stolen vehicle. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) – Golden Gate Division, the grenade was in a bag with the pin partially removed when it was tossed out the window of the fleeing car.
According to the post on the CHP – Golden Gate Division's Facebook page, the incident occurred on Friday, May 2 just after 3:30 pm, when officers spotted a stolen vehicle on 38th Street and Cerrito Avenue in Oakland. The vehicle, which the CHP says was being driven by 28-year-old Carlos Kuceja of Berkeley, California, allegedly fled when police attempted to pull him over.
During the pursuit, CHP said their officers observed Kuceja throwing a bag from the driver's-side window. A nearby CHP officer examined the bag and noticed the grenade inside, according to authorities; the University of California, Berkeley, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team was then notified and secured the grenade after confirming it was live and capable of exploding, with police evacuating nearby homes and businesses.
The grenade found resembles a Mk.2 'pineapple' fragmentation-style grenade, which was used by the U.S. military for many years and was standard issue for soldiers in World War II. These can send lethal fragments up to about 150 feet away.
Despite the alleged grenade toss, Kuceja was not able to escape: authorities say that during the pursuit he turned down a dead-end street, and was captured when he tried to flee on foot, at which time the car was search and no other explosives were found. Police say they also searched the multi-unit home where Kuceja lived and found no additional explosives at his residence.
Kuceja was arrested and sent to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, where he faces numerous charges including possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing from police, resisting arrest, and — not surprisingly — possession and transportation of a destructive device.
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