Columbia police investigating possible downtown explosive

EDITOR'S NOTE: Police are looking into whether the device is explosive. That has been corrected in this story.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Columbia police are investigating whether a device found in a flowerbed on the 700 block of East Broadway around noon on Wednesday was an explosive.

According to witnesses, the device was found in a flowerbed in front of Central Bank.

Business owners from that area that were and those that were not aware of the situation each said they were shocked about the possible explosive found in the flowerbed.

Officials say a department bomb tech arrived and secured the device without incident.

Christian Tabak, the public information specialist with Columbia Police, says it is unknown how long the device was buried there or by whom and it remains to be determined if the device actually has explosive capabilities.

In a Facebook release, Columbia police say the situation does not appear to pose a threat to the community.”