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Robot Inspects Suspicious Package On Kansas Statehouse Grounds

Stephen Koranda
The bomb squad robot outside the statehouse.

The Kansas Statehouse grounds were closed for several hours this morning as police used a robot to inspect a suspicious package.

A man reported to Topeka police that his friend had placed a cardboard canister on the Statehouse grounds as a prank. Capitol Police Officer Patrick Saleh says they didn’t think the item was a threat, but they used a bomb squad robot to inspect it anyway.

The extra caution was because there was a hazardous material sticker on the container.

“We sent the robot in. The robot took a few x-rays. Then we sent our bomb technician in. There was nothing in it. It was safe, as we suspected. As always, we take every precaution,” says Saleh.

Saleh says the person who reported the suspicious container has been interviewed and police are investigating.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.