Staff Reports
Law enforcement responded to a suspicious device found at the Quality Inn in Lake City on Thursday.
According to a Lake City Police Department (LCPD) release, officers were dispatched at 10:45 a.m. to 285 SW Commerce Blvd. to the report of a suspicious device.
When they arrived, officers were advised by a Quality Inn employee and show photos of an unusual device left in a room after the occupants checked out. The photos were sent to the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) Bomb Squad and, after the photos were evaluated, the Quality Inn, Ruby Tuesday and Knights Inn were all evacuated out of caution.
The ACSO Bomb Squad responded to the scene and, after further examination, which included x-rays of the device with robots, safety removed the device from the building. The device was determined to be safe.
The law enforcement agencies that responded to assist with the incident included the LCPD, the ACSO, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the State Fire Marshall’s Office, the Lake City Fire Department, the Century Ambulance Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.