Postal worker detained after bomb threat: Incident blocks traffic on Hwy 25

A postal worker is behind bars Wednesday after allegedly making terroristic threats at the Baxter Post Office Annex and for having a grenade with him while he was on his mail route.

Baxter Police Chief Jim Exsted said police were informed shortly after 3 p.m. Wednesday of a male worker who made "some type of" terroristic threat at the Baxter Postal Annex that morning. Police investigated and learned there was a significant threat.

The postal worker was on his mail route south of Brainerd in his sports utility vehicle, when authorities located him, Exsted said. The worker was stopped on Minnesota Highway 25, south of Thompson Road in Brainerd.

Exsted said authorities investigated and learned the man did possess a grenade-type device in his SUV. The man was detained and the highway was closed for the public's safety, while the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office bomb squad worked on defusing the grenade device.

Sheriff deputies blocked the highway in both directions, advising motorists to drive away while the situation with the grenade was being handled. One elderly couple pointed to their house, which was off the highway close to where the road was closed, to try to get through. However, deputies told them they could not get through as the grenade threat was still active.

The bomb squad worked on the grenade and learned it was a real inert military grenade, which means it lacked the explosive components to make it detonate.

The name of the postal worker was not released Wednesday.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.

1/2: Sgt. Andy Bradley of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Bomb Squad walks away Wednesday from the vehicle that held a possible hand grenade parked alongside Minnesota Highway 25, southeast of Brainerd. The grenade, which turned out to be fake, was hidden safely inside Bradley's explosive containment case. (Submitted)

2/2: A postal worker was on his mail route south of Brainerd in his sports utility vehicle, when authorities located him, Baxter Police chief Exsted said. The worker was stopped on Minnesota Highway 25, south of Thompson Road in Brainerd. He was taken into custody and a harmless device was taken from his SUV by the Crow Wing County Bomb Squad.(Brainerd Dispatch/ Steve Kohls)