Abandoned briefcase prompts evacuation of Carson City DMV

A customer Thursday afternoon inadvertently left his briefcase behind, prompting the evacuation of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Public Safety offices on Wright Way.

DMV Director Edgar Roberts said an employee noticed the unattended briefcase about 2:30 p.m. and brought it to his attention.

"I saw it was an older briefcase and very suspicious looking," Roberts said.

"I just stood there and waited to see if somebody was going to come back and claim this, and then after half an hour I said, no, we're going to pull the alarm and get the people out of here," Roberts said. "You never know what could be in it, so you have to take some safety precautions for the public and the employees."

The Capitol Police, Carson City Sheriff's Office, Nevada Highway Patrol and the Douglas County bomb squad responded.

An X-ray revealed the case contained paperwork.

"It just seemed to be stacks upon stacks of paper, documents. Nothing particularly earth-shattering," said DMV Spokesman Tom Jacobs. "It was evidently a case of absent-mindedness."

About 300 employees and 100 customers were evacuated.

The building was cleared at 4:20 p.m.