A portion of Esther Short Park was closed Friday afternoon as bomb squad officers investigated a suspicious package in the downtown park.
Police were called to the scene about 1 p.m. to investigate a report that a suspicious-looking person had placed a handbag next to a tree and walked away, according to a bulletin from the Vancouver Police Department.
“Officers located the bag next to a large tree on the east side of the park but could not locate the person who left it there,” the department said. “Several witnesses reported the man was wearing a mask and behaving strangely.”
Based on the suspicious nature of the incident and the fact that the bag was closed, officers cordoned off a section of the park and called in the Portland Metro Explosive Disposal Unit, according to the bulletin.