Chase Bank along South Market Boulevard in Chehalis and surrounding businesses and homes were evacuated after a report of an improvised explosive device on Wednesday afternoon.
There were no injuries or damaged property as a result of this incident, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
Chehalis police officers were dispatched to a report of a “suspicious object” in the parking lot at 681 S. Market Blvd. at approximately 4:12 p.m. on Feb. 28, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
Officers arrived on scene and “believed the object could be an improvised explosive device (IED),” prompting officers to immediately evacuate the area and establish a safety perimeter. Local law enforcement contacted the Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad, which arrived at the scene shortly after 6:30 p.m.
The bomb squad “determined that the safest course of action would be to do a controlled detonation of the device,” according to the Chehalis Police Department.
“After the controlled detonation, the WSP Bomb Squad examined the device and determined it was not an IED,” the Chehalis Police Department stated in a news release Thursday morning.
“We would like to thank the Centralia Police Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Washington State Patrol for their assistance with this incident. We would also like to express our gratitude to the businesses and residents affected by this incident for their cooperation and assistance,” Chehalis police stated in a news release.
The case is still under investigation and no further details are being released at this time, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
Chehalis police ask anyone with information about the incident to contact the department at 360-748-8605.
