Spokesman-Review building evacuated over bomb scare

Fri., May 6, 2011

From Staff Reports

Hundreds of Spokesman-Review employees were evacuated Thursday after a woman brought a suspicious package into the lobby of the newspaper office in downtown Spokane.

The Explosive Disposal Unit responded and determined the package was not a threat, said Spokane police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer DeRuwe.

According to newspaper officials, the incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. A woman entered the front door and placed a package the size of an empty toilet paper roll on the front desk. She said someone outside told her to give the package to an unspecified reporter, then she ran out of the building. The package was wrapped in a blue business envelope.

The security guard who received the package took it to the building’s loading dock, following the company’s protocol, and called police. Employees were able to return to work after about 30 minutes.

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