Suspicious object blocking US 41 at Northport turned out to be a World War I shell

NORTH PORT, Florida. A suspicious item found Tuesday on the overlap of US 41 and Eager Avenue in the North Port was a World War I anti-ship projectile that never fired.

Officers say the man tried to sell the device at a nearby pawnshop who told them it could be dangerous and they called the police.

Explosives experts from the NPPD, the Sarasota Police Department, and MacDill Air Force Base responded around 3:00 pm.

As soon as the officers arrived on the scene, they said they blocked the northbound lanes of US 41 and began diverting traffic while experts studied the device.