Bomb Squad Deems Suspicious Bag 'Safe' After Inspection

Annapolis residents near College Creek Bridge Monday night may have heard a loud "boom." It was the sound of the fire department's robot inspecting a suspicious package that was ultimately deemed safe.

The sound people heard was a burst of compressed air from a device used by a remote-controlled robot, employed by the department's bomb squad technicians. The device blasts through a package for safe inspection, according to Annapolis Fire Department spokesman Dale Thompson.

"It gives off the sound of a shotgun going off," Thompson said.

Rowe Boulevard was shut down to traffic in Annapolis at about 6 p.m. while the department was investigating the package.

The robot allows bomb squad technicians to enter and inspect packages from a safe distance. In this case, a suspicious bag that was found on College Creek Bridge drew the attention of authorities, and ultimately the bomb squad. 

Thompson said it turned out to just be a bag that had been discarded on the  bridge, "for whatever reason."

The incident happened just two hours after two explosions occurred at the Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring dozens.