Atlanta police gave the all-clear after a suspicious package investigation led to evacuations in downtown Atlanta and delays on MARTA trains.
Officers responded to 2 Peachtree St. after utility workers spotted a suitcase under a parking deck and called police about 10:15 a.m. Friday, Atlanta police Sgt. Warren Pickard.
SWAT was called to the scene and businesses were evacuated as a precaution because wires in the suitcase were “alarming,” he said.
Underground Atlanta and the Five Points MARTA station were among the businesses evacuated. Trains were not allowed in or out of the station. Service on the transit agency’s north-south and east-west rail lines was delayed. And Peachtree Street was closed between Decatur and Alabama streets, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Just after 1:30 p.m., officials determined the contents in the suitcase were not harmful and normal operations resumed on MARTA.
Pickard said suspicious package investigations can be a strain on resources.
“We stress all the time do not leave packages unsecured or left out in the open because people will call,” he said.
Police have not disclosed what was inside the suitcase.
“We are thrilled that it was not an actual (harmful) device,” Pickard said.
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