No sign of hostage situation in search at city building in Albuquerque: police

[June 14, 2016]    (Reuters) - Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, searched a government building in the city's downtown on Monday, after a report of a possible shooting or hostage situation, but they found no sign of any attack, a police spokesman said.

The police activity was centered on the City-County Building, a facility in downtown Albuquerque that houses city agencies and divisions of Bernalillo County, according to police messages on Twitter.

Police used a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to search the building, they said on Twitter.

"It looks like one individual riled up some employees," Albuquerque police spokesman Tanner Tixier said by telephone.

Tixier told reporters late on Monday that police received a report of a possible shooter at the building.

"We have no confirmation right now that anyone is being held hostage, we have no confirmation right now that there ever was an active shooter," he said.

It could take two to three hours to fully search the building and deem it safe, Tixer said. "We’d rather err on a side of abundance of caution," he added.

One individual was detained and was being questioned as a person of interest, Tixier said.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Sandra Maler and Michael Perry)

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