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Walla Walla Police investigating suspicious item found at Providence St. Mary Hospital


The device was found right before 8:00 AM in the east parking lot of the hospital. Law enforcement were quick to respond with as many as six officers from the Walla Walla Police Department and County Sheriff's Deputies.{p}{/p}
The device was found right before 8:00 AM in the east parking lot of the hospital. Law enforcement were quick to respond with as many as six officers from the Walla Walla Police Department and County Sheriff's Deputies.

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Streets, entrances and even schools are back open after going on lock down this morning after a suspicious device was reported at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla.

The device caused panic at the hospital as patients and caregivers rushed out of the area where the device was found.

"We responded to the area and we found a cylindrical item, it looks like the center of a paper towel with the word "boom" written on it," said Sgt. Eric Knutson, Public Information Officer for Walla Walla Police Department.

The device was found right before 8:00 AM in the east parking lot of the hospital. Law enforcement were quick to respond with as many as six officers from the Walla Walla Police Department and County Sheriff's Deputies.

"We shut down traffic surrounding the hospital, we worked with hospital staff to move some patients around and utilized the Richland bomb squad to assist us with this call," said Knutson.

After spending almost three hours at the scene, law enforcement found the device was not what it seemed.

"Police contacted the bomb squad from Richland, they came, looked at the device and it turned out not to be an explosive device,” said Kathleen Obenland, Director of Communications at St. Mary Providence.

This isn't the first time St. Mary Providence has received threats to their hospital.

"We've never received one that was an actual physical thing that's seen, but we've received calls before, " said Obenland.

Because of past threats, the hospital is now prepared for such a situation.

"We do emergency drilling all the time for all kinds of emergencies so we're able to respond immediately and we have a great working relationship with the Walla Walla Police Department, the Sheriff's Department and all of law enforcement," said Obenland.

The Walla Walla Police Department is currently working with hospital staff and their surveillance footage for any possible leads.

The lock down at the hospital as well as surrounding streets and schools has been lifted and the hospital is resuming their normal operations.

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