Suspicious package found at the Capitol

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- The north side of the U.S. Capitol was closed off Thursday morning after a police officer discovered a suspicious package.

The package was found at 7:30 a.m. by Capitol Police patrolman, The Hill reported.

As of 9:30 a.m. the Capitol Police department was preparing to transport the item, spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider said.

"It has been loaded into a specialized truck operated by our bomb squad," she told The Hill. "It will be transported to Quantico, VA [with a] Virginia State Police escort, to be rendered safe."

The area cordoned was to remain closed until police cleared the scene, Schneider said.