By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
A special agent for the FBI was checking a concussion grenade in the back of a car at the bureau’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon when the device accidentally detonated.
The agent sustained injuries to his hand when the device, which often is used by law enforcement during raids to disorient people, went off, the New York Times reports.
The explosion, which occurred in an underground parking garage at 26 Federal Plaza, initially prompted fears of an act of terrorism.
It’s unclear what caused the device to detonate.
The extent of the agent’s injuries weren’t immediately clear, but the Office of Emergency Management suggested his hand may have been severed.
“Today, an F.B.I. special agent sustained non-life threatening injuries following the accidental discharge of a diversion device in the 26 Federal Plaza garage,” the FBI said in a statement. “We have no further information to provide regarding the agent’s condition, and there is no threat to public safety at this time.”
