Sheriffs deputies mistook an exploding cigarette lighter for gunfire and dove to the ground, called in reinforcements and shut down a neighborhood for hours!

“We have a lot of unusual things happen in our business, and we expected the unexpected. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Robert Craton said.

The lighter in question belonged to one of the two people that had been stopped around noon for loitering and drinking alcohol in Zappopan Park. While the two were being questioned the lighter was placed on the hood of a police car. When the lighter exploded shrapnel went everywhere and the two deputies and two suspects went down to the ground when they thought they were being fired upon.

Reinforcements were called in and the neighborhood was locked down for two hours. Deputies clutching shotguns and pistols leaned on squad cars and a command post went up at a nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter parking lot.

Paramedics and dozens of deputies were on hand as helicopters buzzed the area. Two hours later, a special enforcement officer discovered the culprit – the Bic lighter.