Updated! – Grace Episcopal Church Evacuated

According to one city official, as congregants were leaving Grace Episcopal Church after services this morning, they noticed a package  wrapped in duct tape and marked ‘BOMB.’ The package was later determined not to be explosive.

The church was evacuated immediately after the package was found and the streets in the area of the church were blocked by the police.

Ponca City Police Chief Don Bohon said that an investigation has been initiated. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad took the package as evidence.

On Monday, 10-26, CAPT. Randy Tyner released the following official News Release:

“On 10/25/20 at about 10:43 am, the Ponca City Police Department received a call from a citizen who had found a suspicious package on the sidewalk, between 14^th Street and the parking lot of Grace Episcopal Church Just north of Grand Avenue. Officers responded and found the package, and a perimeter was set up for safety. The Church was evacuated, and the Police Department requested assistance from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad. Once OHP arrived, the package was examined and determined not to be an explosive device. The package was collected as evidence and the investigation is ongoing. Chief Don Bohon said “In situations such as these, the likelihood that we have an actual explosive device is low, but we always take the possibility seriously, and follow safety protocols until we know what we are dealing with.”