~Photo by Fiore Sciucco, Gulf Gas Station.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police and Fire units, along with State Police officers responded to the Gulf station at 379 Alewife Brook Pkwy. on Tuesday afternoon after a hand grenade was found on the premises.

According to reports, the station’s day manager spotted the grenade sitting in a trash bin while he was in the process of emptying the receptacle.

Responding authorities immediately evacuated the station, while they investigated the incident, with the aid of a bomb-sniffing dog.

It was determined that the grenade was genuine, but that the blasting device necessary to set it off was not in place.

Video surveillance footage will be examined in order to help determine who may have placed the device in the trash bin.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner