A case of bottled water – which a Bennington resident told police was purchased from Walmart last month with multiple pinholes through the wrapper and bottle caps – was shown in a Facebook post that has been shared thousands of times.
BENNINGTON — A social media post that purportedly showed a case of bottled water purchased at a local big-box store with multiple punctures in it launched a police investigation this month.
"Currently, there does not appear to be any danger to the public," Bennington police said in a statement issued Thursday.
A case of bottled water — which a Bennington resident told police was purchased from Walmart last month with multiple pinholes through the wrapper and bottle caps — is shown in a Facebook post that has been shared thousands of times.
No other cases of water have been found with punctures in them, according to police, who say staff of the Walmart on Northside Drive "have been extremely cooperative and helpful with the investigation."
The incident in Bennington was referenced in a recent article on the fact-checking website Snopes.com.
The site lists the claim as false.
"Possible explanations for the punctured caps include a manufacturing mistake of some kind, tampering prior to the bottles being packaged, or tampering by the purchaser after the package was opened," the Snopes article states.
Bennington police say the incident is still under investigation.
"As always, consumers should be cautious, and observant, of any purchases made at any store of products that can be tampered with," police said.