Suspicious package forces evacuation at federal courthouse in downtown L.A.
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Federal court proceedings were brought to a halt in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday when a report of a suspicious package forced law enforcement officials to evacuate the 1st Street federal courthouse for more than two hours.
The evacuations occurred shortly before 10 a.m. when Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad was sent to the courthouse on 1st and Broadway to check on a suspicious package, according to the LAPD.
Sara Soohoo, the chief deputy of communications for the courthouse, said the building was evacuated, including federal judges. The building has 24 courtrooms and chambers for 32 judges on 10 floors.
The courthouse was reopened around 12:30 p.m., an official said.
During the closure of the $350-million glass-cube structure, a small group of onlookers stood across the street and watched the police bomb squad. A police dog and an officer walked around the building.
Times staff writer Benjamin Oreskes contributed to this report.
For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.
UPDATES:
12:40 p.m.: This article was updated with details on the court’s reopening.
This article was originally published at 12:15 p.m.
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