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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Suspicious package found near Kootenai County Courthouse contained no explosives

Coeur d’Alene police Officer Winston Brooks directs traffic away from the Kootenai County Courthouse on Nov. 8, 2011. A bomb squad from Spokane was deployed to Coeur d’Alene after a suspicious package was found near the courthouse Monday afternoon. The package was later found to contain no explosives. (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)

A bomb squad from Spokane was deployed to Coeur d’Alene on Monday afternoon after a suspicious package was found near the Kootenai County Courthouse.

By 5:30 p.m., the package was found to contain no explosives, Coeur d’Alene police Sgt. Jared Reneau told reporters.

The package appeared to be two parallel tubes wrapped in duct tape with two red wires sticking out of them.

A passerby found the item between two cars in a parking lot near the public defender’s office on Government Way, across the street from the courthouse, Reneau said.

The area was cordoned off for more than an hour as police secured the area and waited for the Spokane Explosive Disposal Unit to arrive.

Reneau said police would continue investigating the package.