Bomb squad detonates unattended suitcase outside Providence courthouse

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Business has returned to normal at the Licht Judicial Complex in Providence after a bomb scare Tuesday morning.

The complex, which houses the R.I. Supreme and Superior Courts, was evacuated around 10 a.m. after a suspicious package was found outside.

Providence police secured the area and the state bomb squad was called in to detonate the unattended suitcase out of an abundance of caution. Police said it wasn’t an explosive device, but turned out to be filled with clothes. There was never a threat to public safety.

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A 12 News crew at the scene scene heard people calling their loved ones to let them know everything was fine.

The scene has since been cleared and people were allowed back into the courthouse.

“The Judiciary would like to extend its deep appreciation to the Rhode Island State Police, Providence Police Department, and the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs who collaborated with the Judiciary to work swiftly to address the situation at hand,” a court spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the R.I. Judiciary said some hearings had to be rescheduled and defendants were taken back to the Department of Corrections. Jury trials were paused during the evacuation, then either resumed or were continued, based on the judge’s decision.