Police in Booneville have determined that a suspicious device found behind a building in the city’s downtown area does not pose a threat to the public.
Law enforcement was notified about the object around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Local officials reached out to the Prentiss County Emergency Management director, who responded to the location and asked for the assistance of the Tupelo Bomb Squad, the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
“We responded and determined that, to ensure public safety, additional resources should be requested to assist with the investigation,” a statement from the Booneville Police Department reads.
Authorities from each department responded to the scene. After investigating, they collectively determined that the device was not dangerous, and ruled the area safe.
“We will be conducting further investigation into the matter. At no time was there an actual threat to public safety. The immediate area around the object was evacuated until the scene was made safe,” the Booneville Police Department further stated. “We want to thank these agencies and their agents for their timely and valued response. We also want to thank the citizens of Booneville for your cooperation during this incident.”