Suspicious package delivered to Charlotte police department
CHARLOTTE, N.C. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have removed a suspicious package from its headquarters that led to an evacuation.
A statement on the department’s Twitter page said a dog alerted to the package after an employee spotted it. A robot removed the package, and about 8:30 p.m. about a half-dozen police cars followed by a firetruck formed a motorcade heading down a street on the outskirts of downtown Charlotte.
An alert employee spotted the package. There was no phone call or threat.
— CMPD News (@CMPD) September 28, 2016
Police say the package will be rendered safe at a remote location.
According to CBS News affiliate WBTV, there were there as a vehicle with the Bomb Squad arrived at the scene. All personnel outside police headquarters seemed calm.
VIDEO: Here's what it looked like outside @CMPD soon after suspicious package was discovered. @WBTV_News pic.twitter.com/eJ2MDoxPxp
— Sarah-Blake Morgan (@SarahBlakeWBTV) September 28, 2016
Just before 8 p.m., sources told WBTV the package was found to have a cell phone, a flashlight and a bulb inside it when it was x-rayed at police headquarters. They said the package was taken to a secure location to be tested.
Authorities also said there was no phone call or threat made to the department.
After the package was removed, people were allowed to return to a parking lot across the street from police headquarters.
Last week, Charlotte was the scene of violent protests after police officers shot and killed Keith Lamont Scott. Under mounting pressure from the community (and Scott’s wife, Rakeyia Scott, released a video she took of the shooting), the Charlotte police department on Saturday released dashcam and bodycam footage from the officers. The Charlotte police department also released photos of a gun and marijuana blunt that Scott allegedly had on him when he was killed.