'Suspicious Backpacks' Cause 4-Hour Bridge And River Closures

RAINIER, OR — A private dispute got a lot of public attention Monday when morning commuters near Rainier spotted backpacks hanging from a rope off the Oregon side of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, causing a four-hour shutdown of the only direct route over the Columbia River from Longview, Washington. One person has been arrested.

Samuel Abram Owen, 65, was taken to the Columbia County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct, menacing, felon in possession of a weapon, and possession of methamphetamine. His bail is set at $3,375.

Oregon State Police were first alerted to the so-called suspicious backpacks just before 10:30 a.m. March 19.

Not taking any chances — with the recent, randomized bombings in Austin, Texas, at the forefront of the nation's consciousness — a high alert Oregon State Police Bomb Unit shut down traffic over the bridge and used a remote robot to carefully examine and x-ray the backpacks, while the U.S. Coast Guard restricted traffic along the Columbia River.

After the robot's x-rays of the two backpacks did not conclusively reveal their contents, the OSP Bomb Unit used a high pressure water cannon mounted on the robot to blast open the backpacks from a distance.

Inside, troopers found clothing, knives, tools, and other personal miscellanea — mostly non-hazardous items, OSP officials said.

It's unclear how Owen's personal dispute led to the backpack bedlam, but OSP officials assured the community there was no further risk to public safety.

Images via Oregon State Police, Columbia County Sheriff's Office