A suspicious bag was found in Portland State’s Parking Structure 3 at Southwest 12th Avenue and Mill Street at 8:25 a.m. Tuesday.
The orange nylon bag was found underneath a parked car by a patrol officer from the Campus Public Safety Office. The Metropolitan Explosives Disposal Unit was summoned, and police evacuated the building during their investigation, which concluded within an hour.
“It took that long to determine the bag was not a threat,” CPSO Chief Phil Zerzan said.
An email alert was sent to students at 8:52 a.m., 27 minutes after the bag was discovered, to alert PSU community members to stay away from the parking garage. This isn’t the first time that a suspicious package has been discovered on campus. Reports are received of suspicious packages including bags and boxes at PSU on a monthly basis.
“It happens everywhere,” Zerzan said. “We get reports of suspicious packages [frequently].”
Phil Zerzan – Chief of Campus Public Safety – (503) 725-4782