A suspicious envelope prompted an evacuation at a Capitol Campus building Tuesday
Authorities partially evacuated a Capitol Campus building on Tuesday after someone found an envelope containing a suspicious white powder.
The incident occurred around noon on the fifth floor of the 1500 Jefferson building, across from Capitol Gateway Park and near Interstate 5 in Olympia.
The Special Operations Division of Washington State Patrol responded to the scene and evacuated everyone on the fifth floor, said WSP Communications Director Chris Loftis. The Olympia Fire Department, a hazmat team from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and a WSP bomb squad responded as well, he said.
“It took roughly 90 minutes for the process to evolve and have the experts in place to test the materials and make initial assessments,” Loftis said.
The hazmat team determined the white powdery substance was not a hazardous material, Loftis said.
People who were exposed to the envelope received medical evaluations, he said. There were no reports of anyone having a negative reaction to the substance, he added.
Loftis said the Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken charge of the investigation and will test the substance in a lab. He said he could not offer any details about where it came from or who it may have been addressed to.
People on the other floors were not required to evacuate but were allowed to leave, Loftis said. The fifth floor remained closed all day for the investigation, he said. The building resumed normal operations on Wednesday.
Loftis advised the public to call 911 if they see something suspicious. That will probably prompt a sizable response, Loftis said, but it’s best to be cautious.
“We’re always going to respond with the resources necessary to handle aggressive and dangerous situations…” Loftis said. “We would all rather suffer the indignities of inconvenience that the indignities of harm.”
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 3:33 PM.
