Pressure cooker scene causes police action

At 11:30 am, May 31, Ian Myers, who is a member of the Maryville Public Safety team and the Maryville R-II School resource officer, received a photo from a high school teacher who had traveled through the parking lot of the US Bank north location, 120 South Main.

The picture was a pressure cooker/canner at the southeast corner of the bank facility on the sidewalk. The teacher thought it was odd as did Myers.

Myers notified the public safety dispatcher and Maryville Public Safety Detective Sergeant Ryan Glidden went to the scene to verify the report.

Upon verification, he along with other Maryville Public Safety officers began to evacuate the banking premises and all individuals in residences and the 13 business properties within one block. As this operation ensued, Glidden also contacted the Kansas City office of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Missouri Highway Patrol’s bomb unit. All of the surrounding streets were blocked from any vehicle or pedestrian traffic entering.

Through surveillance provided by US Bank corporate, the individual believed to have placed the cooker was identified. The banking personnel noted the individual had entered the bank the day prior, Thursday, with another individual and a vehicle transaction culminated. This occurrence of verifying the validity of a check was not unusual. They noted the man selling the vehicle did walk away from the facility without transportation.

While the police awaited the bomb unit arrival from Jefferson City, the individual who was connected to the incident did drive by the scene, which caused alarm to the police. He was stopped and questioned about the cooker. He told the police he had sold the pickup to an individual, had rode to the bank with the buyer and realized the cooker was too heavy to carry home. He was returning at that point to retrieve the cooker.

After much questioning, the bomb unit arrived, so the individual-in-question was transported to public safety headquarters.

At about 5 pm, a patrolman from the unit set up x-ray equipment which determined there was no explosive devices inside the cooker.

The scene was cleared by 6 pm.

The individual in question is not named in this article as no charges have been made at press time.

Glidden and Maryville Public Safety Director Keith Wood both offered their appreciation for assistance from local law enforcement entities such as the University Police and Nodaway County Sheriff as well as the state and federal agencies.