"There was a true threat here" Bomb squad dismantles explosive found near Nederland police HQ

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – Bomb squad robots moved in on an explosive device found Tuesday afternoon, hours after a police officer picked up a backpack, not knowing what hid in the backpack.

Nederland Police Marshal Paul Carrill said Tuesday night, more than 12 hours after police first stumbled across the device, that officers arriving at work Tuesday morning believed a backpack left near police headquarters in Nederland could have been lost property. 

One officer brought the bag inside, then began to look inside. What he found led him to evacuate that office, then the entire Caribou Ridge Shopping Center. 

"There was a true threat here," Carrill said when asked if the bag could have been left as a coincidence. 

Carrill said he would leave members of the Boulder County bomb squad to explain exactly what the nature of the device is, however he described the device as dangerous.

After bomb squad members responded to the scene, Carrill said they made the decision to remove the explosive device from inside the police headquarters and into the parking lot. 

Authorities set up a blast radius around 1 p.m., hours after first stumbling across the bomb at 7:30 a.m. 

With the help of bomb robots, they began to sort through the bag, bringing its contents out and dismantling the device. 

At one point, Carrill said, suited-up bomb squad members removed a portion of the device by hand. 

Video from the scene of the scene shows a cluster of objects in the Caribou Ridge Shopping Center parking lot, illuminated by floodlights as the investigation toiled into the night.

Just before 10 p.m., authorities moved the explosive device from the parking lot. The movement was likely due to rain. 

Investigation continues by police in Nederland, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Boulder County authorities. They say they can confirm there have been no accompanying written or verbal threats, but are continuing to search. 

Police could not say if they had surveillance footage which shows who may have left the bag overnight. 

Denver7 will continue to post updates as they are available.