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The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Bomb Disposal Unit defused a homemade bomb found Thursday morning at an abandoned lot on Whitesville Road, according to the LaGrange Police Department.

According to LPD Lt. Dale Strickland, a suspicious package was found at 505 Whitesville Road in LaGrange by a person who was cleaning up trash at the lot. After the person called the police, a patrol officer responded, who in turn contacted Strickland.

Strickland arrived around 9:30 a.m. After an initial review, he contacted the GBI, who sent the bomb squad to investigate. Per Strickland, the GBI confirmed that it was in fact an “improvised explosive device” and defused it. The pieces of the bomb were then taken into evidence for a follow-up investigation.

The initial investigation was completed around 12:25 p.m., Strickland said. LPD will conduct the follow-up investigation.

Strickland said the bomb resembled a “manufactured, homemade piece of pipe,” but declined to describe the device in further detail, as the case is being actively investigated.

“This is an example of effective community-police partnerships where citizens see something that concerns them and call us to do our job and protect our community,” LPD Chief Lou Dekmar said. “In this instance, it was discovering a pipe bomb before it was detonated or could harm someone.”