Dallas College’s downtown El Centro campus was on lockdown late Tuesday morning after a reported “suspicious package” was found in a vehicle.
As of 12:30 p.m., Dallas police were still clearing the area, and a bomb disposal team was seen near the vehicle in the 900 block of Pacific Avenue.
Here’s what we know about the situation.
Lockdown at El Centro
An alert was sent to Dallas College students and staff around 11:30 a.m. that said the El Centro campus was under a “police-activity” lockdown and asked students and staff not to enter or exit the building.
More than three dozen Dallas police units were called to the 900 block of Pacific Avenue near the college. Officers were notified of a suspicious package inside a vehicle near the location, said Corbin Rubinson, a spokesman with the Dallas police.
Members of a bomb disposal team approached the vehicle and examined something inside. Investigators later removed what appeared to be a cooler from the vehicle as K-9 units and more than a dozen emergency vehicles remained on the scene.
As of 1:40 p.m., police have secured the vehicle, and no threat was found, police said. The driver of the vehicle was taken into custody on charges related to obstructing the road, Rubinson said.
The El Centro campus is no longer on lockdown, Monica Cordova, a Dallas College spokesperson, confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.
Traffic delays
The police activity caused significant traffic delays and interrupted DART service throughout downtown.
In a social media post, officials with the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system said the Central Business District West Transfer Center and West End Station were closed, while trains were turned around at Pearl/Arts District, Deep Ellum, Victory, and EBJ Union stations.
Police activity also closed off streets around downtown, requiring drivers to use alternative routes.
Police have now cleared the area, and all DART buses and trains have returned to normal operations, according to officials.