The Tempe Police Bomb Squad detonated a suspicious backpack on College Avenue Tuesday afternoon.
"Fortunately, there was nothing in the backpack of any danger," said Cmdr. David Humble, Tempe police spokesman.
Tempe police said no one was hurt and ASU police confirmed no one evacuated any nearby buildings.
At 12:52 p.m., a city employee contacted Tempe Police Department about a suspicious backpack sitting on a bench on the east side of College Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets, Humble said.
The man reportedly said the backpack was making a noise.
Tempe and Mesa police bomb squads and fire departments along with ASU DPS arrived on the scene. At about 1:30 p.m., yellow police tape blocked off College Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets.
Andy Fitzsenry, a Gateway Community College sophomore witnessed the event.
He said police were serious about keeping people away from the backpack in case it did contain a bomb.
"A cop told me to get out of here or I'll be blown up," Fitzsenry said.
The Tempe Bomb Squad used a robot, about the size of a lawn mower, to handle the suspicious backpack.
The robot retrieved the backpack and rolled it into the breezeway of the Art Annex on College Avenue to be detonated.
A police officer yelled, "Fire in the hole! Fire in the hole!"
Shortly before 4 p.m., a loud bang, like the sound of a shotgun, went off and the backpack blew up.
"I don't know for certain, but probably some student left their backpack at the bus stop," Humble said.
Traffic was allowed to travel on College Avenue again at about 5 p.m.
Detective Chuck Corning, Tempe police bomb technician, detonated the backpack.
"You don't want to leave your backpack unattended," Corning said. "Unfortunately, in today's climate, we have to take everything seriously to make it safe for everyone."
Tempe police and ASU DPS were also called earlier in the day.
The mysterious package on Forest Avenue, near the Towers, turned out to be a microwave oven.
Reach the reporter at jeffrey.mitchell@asu.edu
