The Yarmouth Police Department was dealt an unexpected surprise on Monday when resident came to them seeking help disposing of an unusual problem: an unexploded cannonball.
[RELATED: Maine ‘Gun Safety’ Coalition Oversees Negligent Firearm Discharge at Gun-Giveback…]
The Yarmouth PD contacted the Maine State Police (MSP) for guidance on how to handle the archaic armament, according to the PD’s statement.
MSP advised extreme caution handling the munition and concluded that the cannonball was a live ordinance.
The State Police Bomb Squad team was brought in to assess the situation.
After determining that the cannonball was indeed live, the Bomb Squad diffused it before the iron ordinance was hauled away.
Although neither the Yarmouth PD nor the MSP provided any information that might allow historians to determine where the cannonball was manufactured or when, the last significant use of explosive cannonballs in America, in a military context, can be traced back to the American Civil War.
Police did not provide any details on how the cannonball came into the possession of the Yarmouth resident, or if they believe it to have any historical or archaeological significance. They did not include any information on the defusing process.
It is unclear whether the cannonball will simply be destroyed or if it will be treated as an object of potential historical significance.
The Yarmouth police took the time to remind residents not to move old military munitions if they discover any, and instead to notify the police.
Interestingly, the cannonball is not the first live black powder weapon handed over to the police, although the other incident was handled with far less competence.
In June, during a gun giveback program overseen by one of Maine’s primary gun control advocate groups, the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, the Old Orchard Beach Police Department received a loaded black powder musket.
The alleged gun safety experts partnered with MGSC to carry out the firearm destruction. A cut into the barrel of the musket caused sparks to ignite the gunpowder, firing the musket ball into the parking lot and damaging two vehicles.
That recklessness may have risen to the level of criminal activity because discharging a firearm near a building in Maine can be a Class E misdemeanor.
Funny we never heard about the orb incident till now….