Bomb Scare Ends Peacefully In Rochester
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Authorities have determined that a suspicious suitcase found leaning against a natural gas pipeline in Rochester is not a threat.
The St. Paul Bomb Squad made that conclusion around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday, nearly four hours after the suitcase was reported to police.
Officers diverted traffic away from the area on Civic Center Drive and evacuated some nearby buildings while they waited for the bomb squad to arrive. It took the bomb squad, using a robot and an X-ray machine, about 75 minutes to determine that the suitcase was not a danger.
The suitcase was found to be empty, and residents were allowed to return to a nearby apartment complex and homes.
Rochester Police Sgt. Josh Thompson says the department received no specific threats related to the suitcase.
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