Suspicious Package Reported at Congressman's Office

LITHONIA, GA -- Police were investigating a suspicious package at the offices of U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson on Thursday.

Andy Phelan, a spokesman for Johnson, said the congressman's Lithonia office was evacuated around 11 a.m. after an employee opened a package containing an unknown red powder.

"Obviously, it's yet to be determined if this is a substance of concern," Phelan said.

He said that, as a precaution, the entire office building where Johnson's field office is housed, on the 5700 block of Hillandale Drive in Lithonia, was evacuated.

Johnson was in Seattle on Thursday attending a Congressional Black Caucus event.

DeKalb County Police Maj. Stephen Fore said the mailroom employee was the only person exposed and was not showing any effects of exposure to the powder early Thursday afternoon.

Phelan said Johnson staffers had recently undergone suspicious-package training and that the employee was wearing a protective mask and gloves.

Fore said that everyone was out of the building and that police did not fear any risk of further exposure. He said a HAZMAT team was on the scene and would be testing the powder to find out what it is.

An "all clear" was declared at the scene around 1 p.m.