RCMP are looking for a man who might have information into an incident that required the bomb squad to be called to a city grocery store on Monday.
Police were called to the Save-on Foods when a staff member reported a suspicious-looking blue and silver case. That case was later destroyed with a controlled explosion.
After detonating the case, the RCMP determined it had not contained any explosive material. But for a few hours on Monday, the small object shut down parts of the Save-On Foods at the north end of St. Albert Trail.
Now police are searching for a man who may know more about the case and its origin.
“He is a person we believe would have knowledge about the case and the circumstances of what happened this morning," said Cpl. Laurel Kading with the St. Albert RCMP. "But because we are working off the security cameras in the store, and they are not exactly around the picnic table, we can't confirm that that's exactly the person who left it there."
The case looked suspicious to someone at the grocery store, said Kading. It sat on a picnic table near the grocery store, on a green space between the trail and the eastern wall of the store, where the deli section is located.
The RCMP responded to a call at approximately 9:30 a.m. and quickly blocked off the parking lot around the main entrance and the back of the store. The eastern part of the store was also closed to the public. The Explosive Disposal Unit had recommended the safety area.
Shoppers were allowed to walk in and out of the store throughout the day, most shooting curious glances at the police cars and officers outside. Inside, employees huddled together, looking confused.
“What a way to start a Monday,” one said to another. The manager of the store had no comment.
Just after the lunch hour, a black robot wheeled toward the case. It parked in front of the picnic table to gather information. Then it returned to the Explosive Disposal Unit’s truck, parked at the back of the store. The robot approached the case again, this time with an explosive dangling from its arm.
The charge was first placed in front of the picnic table before a member of the explosives disposal unit, clad in a green bomb suit, walked to the picnic table to place the explosive on top of the case. Once he and the robot were a safe distance away, the RCMP detonated the charge.
Police said the charge was detonated to “safely dispose of any potential explosives in a safe manner.” An examination of the area later showed that the case did not contain explosives. There were “odds and ends of pieces,” which may have been leftovers from personal grooming items, said Kading.
“We are very pleased that it turned out to be nothing that actually was a threat to someone,” she said. “But our feeling was to be better safe than sorry so we took precautions. Now we know for sure that nobody was actually in danger at any time.”
Police hope the man they are looking for will contact them. He is described as white, medium to heavy-build man with short red hair, a goatee and a moustache. He wore a dark hoodie and a dark ball cap with white lettering, or a white stripe on the front.
Anyone with information can call the St. Albert RCMP at 780-458-7700, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
