SALT LAKE CITY — A suspicious object resembling an explosive device was brought into the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building on Thursday afternoon, leading to evacuations, officials said.
A man walked into the building at 125 S. State around 1 p.m. and was found with the device at a screening station, said Federal Protective Service spokesman Rob Sperling.
All employees were evacuated from the building for about three hours, Sperling said. A bomb squad from the Salt Lake City Police Department destroyed the object, but it wasn't immediately clear whether it was an explosive.
The man who brought the object with him was still being questioned by police early Thursday evening.
"We take as many precautions as we possibly can, (and) our ultimate goal is to make sure everybody’s safe," Sperling said, adding that the workday for employees inside the building was significantly interrupted. "I’d rather be disrupted and safe than the alternative."