PORTLAND, Maine — The Portland Police Department Bomb Squad was investigating after they were called about a suspicious device near the intersection of Washington Avenue and Ocean Avenue.
Portland police said they received the call around 7:30 a.m. about a suspicious backpack there and closed off the area.
In an 8:51 a.m. social media post Monday, police said people should avoid the area if possible.
Portland police Maj. Jason King said the Hazardous Device Unit arrived and took X-ray imaging of the backpack.
"An X-ray of the backpack led the HDU to believe the package could be suspicious and not safe to handle, which prompted the robot being used to 'disrupt' the backpack," Portland police said in a news release. "A technician in a bomb suit was then able to inspect the contents and deem it not to be a threat."
Footage captured of the search of the item shows the bomb squad robot apparently blowing up the backpack.
"Boom! When you see something ... [it] triggered their response," King explained.
King didn't say who owned the bag but said officials did not find anything illegal once they were able to get a look at the debris. They then swept the debris and reopened the intersection around 11:30 a.m.