Central Avenue reopened after bomb squad responds in Bentonville

The Bentonville Bomb Squad responded Thursday afternoon to downtown Bentonville.
The Bentonville Bomb Squad responded Thursday afternoon to downtown Bentonville.

The Bentonville Bomb Squad responded early Thursday afternoon to a report of a suspicious item under a vehicle in a city parking lot across from the the county administration building.

The scene was cleared and Central Avenue was reopened shortly after 2 p.m.

Keshia Guyll, spokeswoman for the Benton County Sheriff's Office, said the investigation found that a man who was late for a court date put his bag underneath the vehicle.

A search of the bag turned up drug paraphernalia, Guyll said. Deputies identified the man, who had already been arrested on other charges, from surveillance video, she said. The man's name has not been released.

About a half mile of Central Avenue in downtown Bentonville was closed due to the incident. Downtown traffic was diverted to Second Street.

Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies and Bentonville police officers responded.

More information will be added when it becomes available.

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