Updated: No explosives found in RV after evacuations, traffic blocks in downtown Lexington
The Lexington Police Department evacuated downtown areas on New Year’s Eve after an explosives-sniffing canine was “alerted” while inspecting an RV in a parking lot. But the scene was cleared two hours later after no explosives were found, police said.
The RV was noticed by an officer around 7:40 p.m. Thursday, police said, less than one week after a bomb in an RV detonated in downtown Nashville.
“Given the circumstances, an explosives detection canine was brought in, and it ‘alerted’ to the vehicle,” Lexington police said in a tweet. “The downtown area was evacuated and the police department’s Hazardous Devices Unit responded to the scene. Officers made contact with the driver of the RV and no explosives were located.”
Police said they weren’t sure what caused the dog to be alerted. The scene was cleared around 10:15 p.m., police said. Some nearby restaurants, bars, hotels and apartments were evacuated and closed as a precaution.
“We’re sorry, but our priority is everyone’s safety,” police Lt. Chris Cooper said after the scene was cleared. “... I’d like to thank some of the business owners. We all know that 2020 has been a rough year.”
Cooper said business owners worked well to get people out of the area in the midst of a “hectic situation.”
Mayor Linda Gorton commended the police department’s actions.
“Public safety is one of my top priorities, and the events downtown tonight remind us just how important it is. In our city, a well trained, diligent police force protects us,” Gorton said in a statement. “Thanks to our officers.”
Information was initially scarce regarding the evacuations and traffic blocks.
The police department said around 8:30 p.m. its officers were “working an incident in the area of Short Street and Market.” Pedestrians and motorists were asked to avoid the area.
Police department officials added at 8:45 p.m. that traffic was shut down in the downtown area and the area of Vine Street to Third Street was being evacuated. The area of Broadway to Martin Luther King Boulevard was also being evacuated, police said.
Police evacuated Mill Street just after 9 p.m., forcing people to clear out of Goodfellas Pizzeria and the apartments above the restaurant. Other downtown bars and restaurants were forced to evacuate as well.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was on scene to assist the investigation.
Some people leaving the area said they were asked to leave the area because of a bomb threat. They also said they saw police operating a robot.
Julie Wilson, a resident on Second Street, said she was in the evacuation zone but didn’t realize it until one of her friends called her to tell her about it.
“Police did not tell us to leave,” she said. “However I have family on the police force so I texted her to find out what was happening. She told me about the bomb threat and that we were encouraged to evacuate but it was up to us.”
Wilson said she “erred on the side of caution and left.”
Some Twitter users said they were among those evacuated, or saw officers evacuating buildings downtown. Cameron Mills, former University of Kentucky basketball player and radio host, said he was having dinner downtown and saw the evacuations taking place before he left the area.
Witnesses said on social media that police checked an RV in the area. Video from the area showed police using a dog to check the RV.
This story was originally published December 31, 2020 at 9:10 PM.