Bomb scare at Freeport LNG site proves to be false alarm

PHOTOS: Suspected bombs sent to Obama, Clintons, Soros, CNN People inside the Freeport Police Department evacuated the building on Monday after workers brought what was later determined to be a dummy bomb to the station, according to Freeport Police Department. >>> See why people may be on edge about bomb reports less People inside the Freeport Police Department evacuated the building on Monday after workers brought what was later determined to be a dummy bomb to the station, according to Freeport Police Department. PHOTOS: Suspected bombs sent to Obama, Clintons, Soros, CNN People inside the Freeport Police Department evacuated the building on Monday after workers brought what was later determined to be a dummy bomb to People inside the Freeport Police Department evacuated the building on Monday after workers brought what was later determined to be a dummy bomb to ... more Photo: Freeport Police Department Photo: Freeport Police Department Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Bomb scare at Freeport LNG site proves to be false alarm 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

A suspicious device that was brought to the Freeport Police Department Monday morning and led to an evacuation there was determined not to be an active bomb, authorities said.

Freeport Police Chief Ray Garivey said city employees evacuated the department as a precaution, as authorities did not yet know whether the device was an active bomb.

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Contract workers at Freeport LNG initially found the device at a plant in the nearby Brazoria County town of Quintana, Garivey said.

The men who found it had military experience and suspected it was a dummy device, he said. They brought it to the police department to file into evidence.

After the department-wide evacuation, Freeport police called the Texas City Regional Bomb Squad and federal authorities to assist with the investigation. X-rays of the device showed that it was not active, he said.

"For us in law enforcement, with everything going on, we just wanted to be safe," he said.

No injuries were reported.

Julian Gill is a digital reporter in Houston. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and on our subscriber site, houstonchronicle.com. | julian.gill@chron.com | Text CHRON to 77453 to receive breaking news alerts by text message