Canine Sniffs Out Delivery Boxes, Sending Bomb Squad To PNC Park
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- As the Pirates' game was set to get underway, Pittsburgh Police and the Bureau's Bomb Squad were called in to investigate a suspicious package at PNC Park.
As fans were walking inside the ballpark, the Pittsburgh Police Bomb Squad was busy outside investigating what was believed to be a package containing explosives in one of the drop boxes.
It all started when an explosive-detecting canine alerted its handler to the drop boxes, which sit right outside of PNC Park.
"About a quarter after 5 [p.m.], a privately-contracted company that has canine dogs that sniff out bombs and what not was doing a routine check around PNC Park here and hit on a couple mailboxes, delivery boxes," said Cmdr. Michael Pilyih, of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.
#MORE VIDEO ⬇️ Suspicious package investigation at PNC Park! pic.twitter.com/iLFpdBFhms
— Julie Grant (@JulieGrantEsq) April 4, 2018
The canine is not a police K-9. Instead, the dog works for a private company called K2 Solutions that the Pirates use to do routine sweeps of PNC Park.
When Pittsburgh Police were called, based on the K2 Solutions' canine alert, officers quickly taped off the area around the corner of Federal Street and West General Robinson.
Fans were directed away from that side of the building.
Bomb squad investigators suited up and went to work.
They used a remote-controlled bomb detection robot to scan the FedEx and UPS boxes and pick up some of what was inside.
A package was pulled out of the UPS box, and when the technician walked over, he said, "We're good!"
#UPDATE - @PghPolice confirm NO explosive device was found. Scene is clear! pic.twitter.com/DUo3dEAci2
— Julie Grant (@JulieGrantEsq) April 4, 2018
"The Pittsburgh Police Bomb Squad came in and did a thorough exam of those boxes and found no types of bombs or anything like that," said Cmdr. Pilyih.
Thankfully, no explosives were found and there was no disruption to the game.