On February 14, 2013, at 7:00 p.m., Tappahannock Police responded to
the Sheetz Store on Tappahannock Boulevard, reference a suspicious
package. Upon arrival, a medium sized box was observed placed
against a support column at one of the gasoline islands and was
approximately 3 feet from the pumps. The box was sealed and taped
and appeared to contain a heavy item inside. There was no note
attached and no bomb threat had been received by store employees.
Upon closer inspection and assessment of the situation, it was
decided to close the store, evacuate the area, and contact the
Virginia State Police Arson/Bomb Unit. At approximately 10:00 pm,
Special Agents from the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal
Investigation arrived and proceeded to inspect the package by
examination of the contents by X-ray. The contents of the box did
not reveal any type of explosive device and the box was removed and
the scene declared safe. The Sheetz Store was re-opened around midnight.
The Tappahannock Police Department was assisted by the
Tappahannock/Essex Volunteer Fire Department in securing the scene
and closing the entrances to the store.
"If this box was intended to be left by someone as trash, this
location was certainly not the place to dispose of it. This incident
caused inconvenience to Sheetz and its customers and employees and
tied up emergency responders for nearly 5 hours. If this was the
case, the public is to be reminded to dispose of discarded items in a
legal and approved location at all times. In this day and time, we
can never be too cautious when dealing with public safety."
This area is under constant video surveillance and the incident
remains under investigation by the Tappahannock Police Department.
