When Damion Taylor started helping his friend, Teena Rice, clean off the roof of her trailer home on Tuesday afternoon, he expected to find mostly leaves and sticks.Ìý
But instead he picked up what they thought was a live grenade.Ìý
"It was in a pile of leaves just sitting there," he said, holding the small, hunter green, cylindrical item. "I thought, 'Ah man, I'm about to die."
He -- very carefully -- handed the item to Rice, who was standing on the ground. The two called the Lincoln Police Department's non-emergency line.Ìý
Over scanner traffic, a dispatcher relayed information that a woman cleaning her roof found a grenade and was afraid to put it down.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue quickly responded and within about eight minutes of getting the call, they determined the item was a lighter made to look like a grenade.Ìý
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Taylor and Rice were relieved -- though a little embarrassed.Ìý
"I'm glad we didn't call 911 to get the bomb squad down here," she said, laughing. "I'm going to put a picture of this online and ask who the hell thinks it's a good idea to make something that looks like this."
She's not sure how the lighter made it on her roof. She's lived off Northwest 18th Street for about two years.Ìý