Unexploded grenade simulator found on Hunter Hills Court

A Columbus man was taken into custody Thursday for possessing M115A2 grenade simulator at his Hunter Hill Court home, police said.

Emory Stephens, 26, was charged with possession of a destructive device, sale of marijuana and violation of parole during his 12:01 p.m. arrest at 7017 Hunter Hill Court. The charges were bound over to Muscogee Superior Court after a hearing in Columbus Recorder’s Court.

Members of the Columbus Office of Homeland Security’s Hazardous Devices Response Team and Georgia Department of Corrections’ Pardons and Paroles were called to check on a recovered military device. The simulator, used to create flash, bang and whistle effects to simulate battlefield conditions from incoming projectiles, grenades and improvised explosive devices, was found on the dresser of the suspect’s bedroom.

Police Sgt. John Crump secured the device until members of the 789th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Company arrived from Fort Benning. Because the device had been removed from military control and possibly tampered with making it more dangerous, a military official said policies called for destroying the simulator.

The device was taken to the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office Training Center and rendered safe by the explosive ordnance unit.

Under Georgia law, a destructive device is described as any explosive which has configured as a bomb, a grenade or any similar device.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 12:33 PM with the headline "Unexploded grenade simulator found on Hunter Hills Court."