Police destroy package near capitol

Capitol police declined to release the names of the men or say whether the package had posed a danger. They said the rental car the men were using was registered in Florida.

Police closed several streets near the Capitol building and cleared a nearby commercial office building during the incident. The Capitol and congressional office buildings were not evacuated.

“The two individuals approached our officers and advised them that they believed they had a suspicious package in their vehicle,” police spokeswoman Jessica Gissubel told reporters.

“There is a package in the vehicle which is why we put in place the street closures,” she said before police destroyed the package.

Police destroyed the package as a precaution to ensure it would not explode. A hazardous materials response team was on the scene along with other emergency vehicles.