Suspected pipe bomb at Tahoe government center prompts Carson City courthouse sweep
10:57AM UPDATE: The "all clear" was given at the El Dorado County Government Center in South Lake Tahoe. The alleged bomb has been considered a hoax device meant to cause the major response by law enforcement that it did, according to South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler. Evidence is being gathered and roads will soon reopen.
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A suspected pipe bomb discovered in front of the South Lake Tahoe Police station and government center Wednesday morning prompted the Carson City Sheriff's Office to do a sweep of the courthouse area on Musser Street in which a suspicious bag was discovered.
After protocols were put into place it was determined not to be a threat, said Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong. The bag contained clothes and appeared to have been there for a while. The parking lot of the Carson City Courthouse had been cordoned off for around 15 minutes but is now back open, said Furlong.
Meanwhile, South Lake Tahoe courthouse employees were relocated to a nearby parking lot. South Lake Tahoe Police Deputies and the California Highway Patrol were on scene and a bomb squad unit from Douglas County was called to the area.
At approximately 6:35 a.m. an El Dorado County Groundskeeper working at the El Dorado County Courthouse located at 1354 Johnson Blvd. noticed a suspicious device in front of the courthouse.
South Lake Tahoe Police Department responded and contacted Tahoe Douglas Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit to assist in the safe assessment and removal of the device. Tahoe Douglas is currently in the process of deploying the robot which is used in such events. Law enforcement, detectives and officials are following up on a variety of leads.
South Lake Tahoe Middle School is far enough away to not be directly affected; however, they have taken the protective measure of cordoning off the fields outside of the school, said South Lake Tahoe spokeswoman Tracy Franklin.
Assisting agencies include: South Lake Tahoe Police Department, Tahoe Douglas Explosive Unit, California Highway Patrol, El Dorado County Sherriff’s Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.
Developing ... we will update the situation at South Lake Tahoe as we get more information. Follow the developing story here at our sister website, South Tahoe Now.
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