At approximately 9:55 a.m. Sunday, Whitestown Metropolitan Police officers were dispatched to the Friendly Market at 2 S Main Street in Whitestown, on a report of a suspicious item. A local business owner was approaching the front entrance of the Friendly Market, when they saw a
suspicious item sitting on the window ledge. They informed the manager of the Friendly Market who then called 911.
WMPD Officers arrived at the Friendly Market, and upon initial investigation observed a timer clock with electrical tape and possible wires coming out of the clock. Officers suspected this could be an explosive device, evacuated the store and surrounding area, and proceeded to set up a perimeter for safety. The Whitestown Fire Department and Boone County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene to assist with the safety perimeter. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Team was also contacted and responded to the scene to assist.
While the IMPD EOD Team began their initial investigation, WMPD Detectives began interviewing bystanders, and reviewing security camera footage from the Friendly Market. From the security camera footage, they were able to see who left the device on the window ledge, and identify the person as a local resident. WMPD Detectives interviewed the man they identified, who then informed them the device was not an explosive device, but was simply a timer that he had forgotten there. This resident was completing sketches for the public earlier in the day on the Friendly Market property, and had set the timer there to go off when his sketching time was up. He informed detectives that he had finished prior to the timer going off, and he returned home without it.
The scene was then declared safe once the device was determined not to be an explosive, and the perimeter was released. No enforcement actions were taken by WMPD Officers.