Powder In Letter Prompted Courthouse Evacuation

TAMPA, FL — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating the Wednesday afternoon discovery of a letter containing a powdery substance that was sent to the courthouse annex. The find prompted workers to quarantine themselves in a room and an evacuation of the building's first floor.

According to the sheriff's office, a worker opened the letter around 3:40 p.m. May 17. After noticing the powder, the people in the room made the decision to quarantine themselves and call 911, an email from the sheriff's office said.

Tampa Fire Rescue was called to the scene. Its crews evacuated the first floor of the 401 N. Jefferson St. building, the sheriff's office said. The agency's hazmat team then arrived on scene to perform medical assessments on the people who were potentially exposed to the powder.

"They tested the powder with a field test kit and determined the substance to be non-toxic," the email said. The workers quarantined in the room were released around 5:45 p.m., the sheriff's office noted.

The sheriff's office has opened a criminal investigation to determine who sent the substance, who the intended target was and what the motive behind the hoax might be.

No further information is being released at this time. Authorities did say no injuries were reported in connection with the scare.

Photo courtesy of Tampa Fire Rescue