Suspicious box forces DSHS evacuation

By KOMO Staff

Summary

Officials said two men got out of black Chevy Suburbans, placed a box on top of a newspaper box near the Lacey office and, before driving off, said they were from the Department of Homeland Security. But DHS officials said they had no one in the area.

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Story Published: Jan 7, 2009 at 9:26 AM PST

Story Updated: Jan 7, 2009 at 1:53 PM PST

Suspicious box forces DSHS evacuation

A robotic vehicle is used to check out the box in front of the DSHS office.

LACEY, Wash. -- A suspicious box has forced the evacuation of the state Department of Social and Health Services office in Lacey.

Officials said two men got out of black Chevy Suburbans just after 7 a.m., placed a box on top of a newspaper box and, before driving off, said they were from the Department of Homeland Security.

Lacey police contacted Department of Homeland Security officials who said no one with the department was in the area.

Employees in the DSHS office at 4450 10th Avenue Southeast were evacuated to another nearby building, and police have cordoned off the area around the box.

A State Patrol bomb squad has been called in, and investigators were using a robot to check out the box.