Suspicious sound in garbage can prompts Princeton evacuations
Guests at a local hotel were relocated during the investigation.
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A suspicious sound coming from a garbage can in Princeton’s Palmer Square section led to evacuations and an early-morning investigation Monday.
Just after midnight, Princeton police received a report of a suspicious sound from a garbage can on Hulfish Street. When officers arrived, they saw what appeared to be frayed wires protruding from the can, along with a "high-pitched audible noise."
"Due to the unknown nature of the device and out of an abundance of caution, officers secured the area and requested assistance from the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad," Princeton police said in a statement.
As a precaution, first responders evacuated nearby residences. Guests at the Nassau Inn who were staying in rooms near the investigation site were relocated to another area of the building. Police closed Palmer Square to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for more than two hours while the investigation continued.
"After further examination, the device was ultimately identified as a battery-operated insulin pump that had been discarded in the garbage can," Princeton police said.
Once the area was deemed safe, the road was reopened and residents were allowed to return to their homes.
