HUNTINGTON BEACH : Officer Undergoes Surgery After Bomb
An Orange County probation officer who underwent a four-hour operation to save a thumb after a pipe bomb exploded at a high school was reported in good condition Wednesday at UCI Medical Center in Orange.
Thomas Agee suffered lacerations of the left thumb and left index finger and severe bruising to his chest when the explosive device, intended as a seniors’ prank, went off Tuesday in the principal’s office at Huntington Beach High School.
“Our officer wasn’t trying to disarm the bomb. It’s our understanding that he was obtaining information on attendance on some of his wards at the high school when someone brought the bomb into the office,” said John Robinson, chief deputy probation officer.
While Agee was examining the cigar-shaped device, it exploded.
Senior Timothy Dale, 18, of Huntington Beach, and two other youths were arrested on suspicion of possession of an explosive device, a spokesman for Huntington Beach police said. The names of the other two students were withheld because they are minors.
The district is considering disciplinary measures against the trio, which could include expulsion.
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