The pipe bomb recovered from outside a Harlem police precinct on Wednesday afternoon was found to be a legitimate explosive device, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
According to law enforcement sources, the NYPD Bomb Squad determined that the device equipped with two aerosol cans was classified as a low incendiary device. While police do not believe the explosive would be capable of causing death, they do say that it could have caused serious injury had it been detonated.
The bomb allegedly belonged to 50-year-old Chontrell Wrenick, who NYPD Chief Ruel Stephenson says attacked his cousin, Kerry Nichols also 50, with a machete inside of a car not far from the 25th Precinct station house located at 119th Street and Lexington Avenue.
“The assault consisted of the driver hitting [the victim] in the back of the head with a machete causing bleeding,” Lieutenant Eloise Walter said.
Seeking help, Nichols ran to the 25th Precinct stationhouse, where cops arrested his attacker, and were informed that he had the explosive in his possession — prompting a massive police operation.
“Given what you see around the country, whether it’s somebody that’s mentally disturbed, or whether this is a targeted incident, we treat it the same. We have a lot of work to do, still, but make no mistake about it. Finding a device like this, and we will test it and the bomb squad is working, but it is serious,” Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Tariq Shepard said.
A heavily armored member of the NYPD bomb squad removed the explosive during an hours-long, tense operation that saw the block closed off to the public.
Wrenick, who is no stranger to the law, was hit with a slew of charges, including reckless endangerment, assault with a weapon, and multiple counts of criminal possession of a bomb.
