Lang
11/5/20
More information has been released about a suspicious package that closed down Iowa City City Hall and surrounding areas Wednesday.
According to a city news release, at approximately 2:49 p.m. a man approached the front desk at the Iowa City Police Department and placed a full backpack that had been padlocked shut in front of the police window. The man would not respond to the employee at the desk and left the building. Due to the suspicious nature of the item and the man’s behavior, City Hall was evacuated and the Johnson County Metro Bomb Squad was called in to assess the situation.
Upon further investigation, it was determined that the backpack contained a large amount of paperwork. The man who left the backpack was located by police and when questioned, stated he left the backpack at the police department’s front desk because he was upset about mail fraud.
No criminal charges have been filed related to this incident.
The ICPD requests that community members not leave items in the Police Department lobby or City Hall without first speaking with city staff.