Parts of downtown Long Beach streets closed down Thursday morning when officers found a suspicious box with wire sticking out placed on the trunk of their police car, according to the Long Beach Police Department (LBPD). The box was later declared safe.
Authorities said officers were near Pine Avenue and 1st Street at 5:50AM, responding to a call of a disturbance near Pine Avenue and Broadway. When they returned, they found the box and wire on their car.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) bomb squad was then requested and nearby streets were closed, including Pine Avenue, Pacific Avenue and 1st Street, LBPD spokesman Sgt. Brad Johnson said.
#Long Beach, #LASD SEB Tactical Bomb Techs assist our partners at @LBPD w/ a suspicious package. Pacific & 1st reopened. Area safe. pic.twitter.com/aXe8mC6F1j
— SEB (@SEBLASD) December 29, 2016
The Metro Blue Line Downtown Long Beach Station also closed during the investigation. A bus bridge was not available due to the street closures, according to Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo.
The bomb squad eventually determined the box did not contain an explosive device, Johnson said.
The investigation remains ongoing.