Police: Woman brought mortar shells to LBPD headquarters to dispose of them

County bomb squad responded and building was briefly evacuated as a precaution

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Long Beach City Hall, including the Long Beach police and fire department headquarters, were evacuated briefly on Tuesday after a woman brought two mortar shells to the police headquarters in an attempt to dispose of them.

According to LBPD spokesman Sgt. Brett Curtis, the widow of a Korean War veteran appeared at police headquarters seeking assistance on how to get rid of two mortar shells that belonged to her late husband. Around 10: 30 a.m., as a precautionary measure, City Hall was evacuated for about an hour and a half.

Curtis said that the Nassau County Police Department's Arson Bomb Squad arrived and removed the shells at around 10:45 a.m, before transporting them back to its headquarters. He added that the Arson Bomb Squad would have to evaluate the shells before determining whether they were still active and posed a danger.

The city’s detective unit and the county’s Arson Bomb Squad are investigating the matter. City Hall is currently open.