Businessman embarrassed after claiming suspicious package

Police released a suspicious package to its rightful owner after the bomb squad spent hours retrieving the bag and placing it in a total containment vessel to render it safe.

A suspicious package call was made to police at about 11:30 a.m. Friday, after a Shops at Willow Bend store employee found an unattended bag outside the Macy’s Department store.

Rick McDonald, Plano police spokesman, said when police could not locate an owner they brought in the bomb squad robot to remove the bag.

“We feel it’s safer to use a robot to remove a suspicious package when the contents are unknown,” McDonald said. “When we have the ability to use a robot instead of risking human lives, we do.”

The bomb squad evacuated portions of Macy’s along with a few kiosks in the common’s area.

“The bomb team makes the call what the distance of danger will be,” McDonald said. “They decide how far people should be away. None of the hub stores were completely closed.”

McDonald said police later received a call from a lady claiming she believed the package belonged to her boss.

David Smith arrived at the scene and entered the bomb squad’s quarters to identify the briefcase’s contents.

After giving police information about what was inside the bag, they were able to confirm he was the owner.

“I feel terribly embarrassed,” Smith said. “I feel like crawling in a hole.”

Smith realized he did not have his briefcase when he arrived at his afternoon appointment in downtown Dallas.

To prepare for his presentation, Smith said he decided to get away from the phones and meet his client in the commons area outside of Macy’s that morning.

When he arrived at his appointment he realized he did not have his briefcase. He said he called his secretary and asked her to retrieve it, but he mistakenly directed her to the common’s area outside of Dillard’s.

When the briefcase was not found, Smith said he decided it was no big deal and he would contact the lost and found department after his appointment.

When Smith was on his way back, he called the office and his secretary asked if he was certain he sat outside Dillard’s and not Macy’s.

“I said ‘son of a gun that’s where I was,’” Smith said.

Smith then learned they had the whole area cordoned off and the bomb squad had a mysterious bag.

“The one thing I do feel good about is when we do have these things going on, I have a good feeling if it was something critical, the police would do a good job,” Smith said.

Contact Stephanie Flemmons at sflemmons@acnpapers.com

Current Rating: 0 of 0 votes!

Rate File: Select Rating: * ** *** ****