Officers neutralize suspicious package after robbery, bomb threat at Southeast Financial Credit Union

Chattanooga police are blocking the Bailey Avenue railroad viaduct Wednesday, July 27, on either end and numerous officers, at least one toting a long gun, appear focused on a house on National Avenue across Bailey Avenue from the National Cemetery.
Chattanooga police are blocking the Bailey Avenue railroad viaduct Wednesday, July 27, on either end and numerous officers, at least one toting a long gun, appear focused on a house on National Avenue across Bailey Avenue from the National Cemetery.

Police locked down several blocks north of the Chattanooga National Cemetery on Wednesday afternoon after reports of a robbery and bomb threat at the Southeast Financial Credit Union.

At 3:30 p.m., officers had shut down a portion of Bailey Avenue, blocking it with their parked cars and a handful of officers stood on National Avenue with assault rifles in hand. Yellow crime scene tape stretched across the streets at various intervals with squad cars interspersed throughout.

According to police, a suspect allegedly entered the building, demanded money and then left a suspicious package on the counter before fleeing the scene. As a precaution, the package was treated was treated as a potentially dangerous explosive.

After police had secured the building and its occupants had been evacuated, the police department's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was brought in to evaluate and neutralize the potential bomb.

When it was clear that the scene was safe, officers placed their rifles back into their cars but maintained positions guarding the perimeter.

Shortly before 5 p.m., a small explosion went off outside the credit union with the sound of a cannon and a white puff of smoke floated into the air from the parking lot. Authorities then began walking around the parking lot and street, picking up debris from the package.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation.

There is no further information about the identity of the suspect, how much money was taken or if any weapons were involved, but a spokesman for the police department did confirm no one had been injured in the incident.

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