Update, 7 p.m. As per a notice released by the Berkeley Police Department at 4:11 p.m., “The Bomb Squad examined the package, rendering it safe and determined it to be harmless. The investigation into this matter is ongoing.”
At approximately 3:55 p.m., Shattuck Avenue was opened to all traffic and pedestrians.
Just before 4 p.m., the University of California Police Department alerted campus to evacuate Sproul Hall, the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union and the lower Sproul construction site, according to a notice posted on the department’s Twitter feed. The UCPD bomb squad responded.
UC police advised people to avoid the area, but ultimately determined that the item was empty, and declared the area to be safe, as of 4:20 p.m.
According to Berkeley Patch, the Shattuck Avenue package was determined via x-ray to contain coffee, which had been delivered to La Note restaurant, at 2377 Shattuck Ave.
Original post, 3 p.m. Shattuck Avenue is closed in both directions from Durant Avenue to Bancroft Way while the Berkeley Police bomb squad investigates a suspicious package.
The package was discovered near the UC Berkeley campus Monday at 11:55 a.m., said Berkeley police spokeswoman Jennifer Coats.
The department’s bomb squad is on the scene, as of 2:50 p.m., investigating the item.
Police do not have an estimate at this time for when they will re-open the road, said Coats.
The package was delivered to a business, which contacted Berkeley Police.
“Officers responded and felt it was suspicious enough to contact the BPD Bomb Squad,” said Coats via email.
Police evacuated some businesses on the east side of Shattuck Avenue during the investigation, and have asked others to shelter in place.
Pegasus Books is closed and a U.S. Postal Service inspector was at the scene, reported Berkeleyside staffer Frances Dinkelspiel.
Traffic in the area was bumper to bumper, with southbound traffic on Shattuck being diverted onto Bancroft.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Berkeleyside publishes many articles every day. To see all our stories in chronological order, and read ones you may have missed, check out our All the News grid.
