Doggy poop bag dispenser prompts bomb scare at Oregon middle school, cops say

Did someone drop a hand grenade outside an Oregon middle school? It sure looked like it, police said.

On Dec. 18, officers in McMinnville responded to Patton Middle School after getting reports of a potential hand grenade being found in the grass near the school’s running track, according to a Dec. 20 Facebook post by police.

All the students were sent inside while police investigated, officials said.

But it turned out the item wasn’t a bomb in the slightest.

After securing the area, the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad arrived and the department used a drone to take close-up photos of the item, officers said.

After looking over the pictures, officers were able to determine the suspected grenade was actually a dog poop bag dispenser, an item used to carry clean doggy waste bags, officials said.

The dispenser was taken off campus, police said.

McClatchy News reached out to Patton Middle School for a comment on Dec. 22 and is awaiting a response.

McMinnville is about 50 miles southwest of Portland.

This story was originally published December 22, 2023 at 1:57 PM with the headline "Doggy poop bag dispenser prompts bomb scare at Oregon middle school, cops say."