MADISON, Wis. – An all-clear has been given after a suspicious item was found on the boardwalk outside the UW Arboretum in Madison.
A UW Police Department officer on patrol in the Arboretum Monday morning was flagged down by a passerby who reported what they thought was a grenade sitting on a railing on the boardwalk near the building’s Mills Street entrance.
The officer immediately went to the area to investigate and confirmed what the passerby reported. UWPD officers quickly cordoned off the area as a safety precaution and shut down nearby Arboretum Drive once the officer confirmed what the passerby spotted.
Within two hours, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Devices Unit was able to determine that the device was an empty training grenade and was not a threat.
“While it’s unclear why the device was left on the boardwalk, it’s likely that someone found it, didn’t know what to do with it, and left it for someone to dispose of.” said UWPD in a statement Monday.
By 11:30 a.m., the Arboretum was reopened.
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