By JOHN ANDERSON
Residents on Scott Avenue and the area in the village of Wellsville woke up to the sound of a flash bomb from the FBI around 5:50 a.m. today.
Another flash bomb, or stun grenade, went off around 6:07 a.m.
Neighbors heard the FBI yelling, “FBI, come out with your hands up,” and the inaudible name of a male.
The home and belongings are being searched this morning and FBI agents in white hazmat suits have been taking items out of the house and putting them in vehicles.
The house the FBI raided is at 296 Scott Avenue, which is owned by a Fredonia resident. A couple lived at the house, and the female recently died.
Wellsville Village Police Chief Timothy O’Grady said his department assisted the FBI, but he did not have any information other than the public was not at risk today and that no one is in custody.
According to neighbors and audio recordings of emergency calls, there was an overdose death at the home about a week ago. Wellsville ambulance was called back to the home later that same day for a report of someone in the yard in need of medical assistance.
At 4 a.m., the parking lot at Tullar Field was filled with unmarked FBI vehicles and SWAT team vehicles.
Another neighbor said the FBI had camouflage semi-automatic weapons and thought the sounds were shots. O’Grady told the Wellsville Sun they were flash-bangs.
A flash-bang will cause a concussion and is a non-lethal explosive device. The advantage is, the explosion will stun and disorient a person inside. The stun grenade is very loud and emits a bright flash of light on explosion. Side effects are temporarily blinding and deafening.
VIDEO:
The large gathering of FBI vehicles filled Scott Avenue for the incident and Wellsville Police had the road blocked off at the Genesee Street intersection. There were other police and FBI vehicles near the medical helicopter landing zone on Loder Street. There was at least one New York State Police vehicle, but most vehicles were unmarked FBI vehicles.
Photos from the scene:
