Replica cannon used as paperweight explodes when man ignites it, Washington cops say
A man lit gunpowder into a replica cannon used as a paperweight, and it exploded in his hands, deputies in Washington said.
The 41-year-old was in Port Orchard on Sunday, July 14, when the explosion happened, the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
He loaded gunpowder into the small replica cannon and set it on fire, deputies said.
That’s when it exploded and severely injured one of his hands, deputies said.
The injured man was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
“The replica (cannon) was not designed to load and fire,” deputies said.
Port Orchard is about 20 miles southwest from Seattle.
Helena Wegner
McClatchy DC