‘White substance’ ruled no threat after scare in county commissioner’s office

By Joe Schoenmann (contact)

Published Wednesday, June 20, 2012 | 3:44 p.m.

Updated Wednesday, June 20, 2012 | 5:12 p.m.

For the second time in seven weeks, emergency personnel were called to investigate a suspicious substance found in the Clark County Government building downtown.

Metro Police on Wednesday afternoon sealed off the sixth floor of the Clark County Government Center downtown and brought in the All-Hazards Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response Team, known as ARMOR, to investigate a “white substance” found there.

Initial tests on the substance indicate it was chalk, county spokesman Erik Pappa said.

Sources told the Sun the substance was found on the desk of County Commission Chair Susan Brager and a Metro spokesman said Brager’s office called Metro “regarding an unknown substance found while she was going through her mail.”

However, the Metro spokesman added, the substance was determined to be chalk.

Pappa said police arrived around 2:30 p.m., and that air conditioning to the floor had been turned off during the investigation. No one was reported ill or injured, he added.

Pappa would not say how the white substance may have gotten into the office; visitors have to be let in through a locked door to access commissioners’ offices.

About 11 Metro vehicles were parked on the eastern side of the building at 500 S. Grand Central Parkway. Some men dressed all in black carrying black duffel bags and gas masks walked into and out of the first-floor entryway.

The first threat occurred May 10 when an envelope with an unknown substance was found in the Assessor's Office on the second floor. Emergency responders were called and the substance was found to be harmless.