All-clear sounded after suspicious package investigated at Equitable Building

The Equitable Building on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta was evacuated Tuesday morning and surrounding streets closed while police investigated a suspicious package.

Credit: John Spink

Credit: John Spink

The Equitable Building on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta was evacuated Tuesday morning and surrounding streets closed while police investigated a suspicious package.

The Equitable Building on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta was temporarily evacuated Tuesday morning because of a bomb scare, authorities said.

When police arrived at the 35-story office building around 7:30 a.m., they were told that a man had called the building and said a bomb was in one of the packages delivered a day earlier, Atlanta police spokeswoman Officer Kim Jones said. Atlanta fire crews and a K-9 unit from the airport also arrived on the scene.

Peachtree Street between Auburn Avenue and Ellis Street was shut down temporarily to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, Jones said.

An explosives-sniffing dog was brought in and the package was deemed not to be a threat around 9 a.m.

No chemicals or explosive devices were located, Jones said. Traffic was restored and workers were allowed back in the building.

Staff photographer John Spink contributed to this report.