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Police are on the way to investigate suspicious packages at the Diocese of Covington, according to Kenton County dispatchers. (Photo: Fox19)

Kentucky authorities cleared the Diocese of Covington building of all threats Wednesday evening after receiving a report of a suspicious package a few hours earlier.

A 911 caller said the package arrived by mail. It was evacuated at about 4:30 p.m., a Kenton County dispatcher said.

A different dispatcher told The Enquirer that three packages were reported to authorities throughout the day. Covington Police Officer Josh Haggard said at about 7 p.m. that several packages were received throughout the day, but one in particular sparked the law enforcement response. It was ultimately determined not to be a threat.

Covington police and fire departments were on scene, as were officials in FBI attire. A vehicle marked as a Cincinnati Hazardous Devices Unit also responded.

The investigation came days after an incident in Washington, D.C., involving Covington Catholic High School students, participants in an Indigenous Peoples March and members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a hate group. Videos of the incident sparked a national debate about who was to blame for the tense encounter.

More: Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann on Today Show: 'People judged me based off one expression'

More: Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole

More: Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole

More: The March for Life is a different kind of field trip for schools like Covington Catholic

Follow Max Londberg on Twitter: @MaxLondberg

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/23/authorities-investigating-suspicious-packages-found-diocese-covington/2661579002/</s>A police car sits outside the Diocese of Covington on Jan. 22. (Andrew Spear/For The Washington Post)

The Diocese of Covington, at the center of a controversy over students’ behavior during a confrontation with a Native American man last week, evacuated its offices Wednesday afternoon following reports of a suspicious package.

The evacuation, first reported by local media, which showed emergency responders outside the downtown Covington, Ky., buildings, appears to have been a false alarm.

Lt. Col. Brian Steffen, public information officer for the Covington Police Department, confirmed Thursday that the buildings are open again and that there are no ongoing threats.

The diocese has been responding to a quickly evolving nationwide controversy that erupted over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend after a video went viral showing a group of Covington Catholic High School boys on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where students travel annually for the antiabortion March for Life.

One of the students was shown standing in front of Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, who was beating a drum during the Indigenous Peoples March. A larger group of Covington Catholic students stood nearby, laughing and gesturing.

[Death threats and protests: Kentucky town reels from fallout over Lincoln Memorial faceoff]

The diocese offices and school were both closed Tuesday because of threats and a planned protest by Native Americans, according to a statement on the diocese’s website.

“Due to threats of violence and the possibility of large crowds the Diocese was advised to close Covington Catholic High School, the Diocesan Curia and neighboring Covington Latin School,” the statement said.

The protest outside the diocese Tuesday morning attracted about 70 people, including many members of the media, and passed off peacefully.

The Diocese of Covington includes 47 parishes spread out from the edge of Appalachia near Maysville, some 60 miles away, to parishes within sight of Cincinnati’s skyscrapers. Parishes throughout the region feed students into Covington Catholic.

Mike Schafer, director of communications for the neighboring Cincinnati Archdiocese, said that over the weekend the Covington diocese was “slammed with messages and threats, very serious threats of violence.”

Steffen of the Covington Police Department said that packages looked suspicious to diocese staff who then alerted local police. The intentions of the senders remain unknown, he said.

He also said the Covington police are working closely with officers throughout Northern Kentucky, including in nearby Park Hills, where Covington Catholic High School is located, as the situation evolves.

The school reopened Wednesday with a heavy police presence at its entrances along Dixie Highway and with white vans blocking a neighboring parking lot that offered an overview of the sprawling campus of the all-boys school.

It was also open Thursday, following a 90-minute weather-related delay.

Steffen said no new suspicious packages had arrived Thursday, but he said the new measures reflected the changed circumstances in the community.

“Our response to the heightened security concern is proportional to the potential threat to the area,” he said.</s>Authorities evacuated the Diocese of Covington after receiving reports of a suspicious package in Covington, Kentucky, according to various local media outlets.

The Cincinnati Bomb Squad and other emergency officials were at the scene located in the 1100 block of Madison after officials with the diocese said they received several packages, one they deemed suspicious in nature, local NBC affiliate WLWT has reported.

The station has also reported that the diocese has been given the all-clear by authorities and the scene is secure.

The diocese is affiliated with the Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, an all-boys’ school currently in the middle of controversy after videos emerged showing students from the school allegedly mocking Native Americans outside the Lincoln Memorial after a rally in Washington D.C.</s>A report of suspicious packages at the headquarters of a Roman Catholic diocese in Covington, Ky., prompted an evacuation of the building Wednesday afternoon.

But by evening authorities had determined that no threats existed and the packages had been turned over to the FBI for further scrutiny, according to reports.

“We were just erring on the side of caution,” Covington Fire Chief Mark Pierce told a reporter, referring to the evacuation and subsequent investigation, which occurred near one of Covington’s busiest intersections.

COVINGTON ROW: LAWMAKERS WANT DETAILS FROM TWITTER ON ACCOUNT THAT PROMOTED VIRAL VIDEO, REPORT SAYS

The chief declined to say what was inside the packages, the River City News of Covington reported.

The city of some 40,000 residents is located just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.

The deployment of a Fire Department bomb squad was just the latest interruption of normalcy in the community since last week’s viral-video encounter between students from a local Catholic high school and some Native American and African-African activists in Washington, D.C.

The footage sparked a furious debate – first on social media, then in print and on television – about whether the students were being rude to an elderly Native American, or whether the elderly man and some other adults were bothering the teens.

The uproar over the video prompted officials at Covington Catholic High School to cancel classes for a day amid reports of death threats reportedly made to community members. A Kentucky prosecutor said Wednesday that he was confident that people making threats would be "held accountable," FOX 19 of Cincinnati reported.

On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said “far-left activists" and the media were to blame for the threats.

“Far-left activists and members of the national and state media isolated a very few seconds of video footage from any shred of context and many decided it was time to attack and denigrate these young people,” McConnell said.

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Earlier Wednesday, Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann told NBC's "Today" show that he had every right to be near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where the youths had gathered after attending a March for Life event. He said he wasn't disrespectful and was trying to stay calm under the circumstances.

The packages discovered in Kentucky had arrived via a local courier, just one day after the diocese said it had brought in a third party investigator to review the behavior of the students who appeared in the video.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Kentucky authorities are investigating Wednesday afternoon a suspicious package that arrived at the Diocese of Covington, according to a Kenton County dispatcher.

A 911 caller said the package arrived by mail, and that the building is being evacuating, the dispatcher said.

“We have been called. They’re investigating,” the dispatcher added.

Authorities said the evacuation was underway at about 4:30 p.m.

The investigation comes on the heels of an incident in Washington, D.C., this past weekend involving Covington Catholic High School students, participants in an Indigenous Peoples March and members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a hate group. Videos of the incident sparked national debate.

More: Covington Catholic student Nicholas Sandmann on Today Show: 'People judged me based off one expression'

More: Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole

More: Covington Catholic confrontation shows ugly side of Kentucky, and US as a whole

More: The March for Life is a different kind of field trip for schools like Covington Catholic

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Investigation underway after suspicious packages found at Diocese of Covington</s>LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police and fire departments have responded to the Diocese of Covington's headquarters to investigate reports of a suspicious package, according to WCPO.

The offices, which are attached to the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption on Madison Avenue, is the hub of all Catholic churches in northern Kentucky.

Covington Catholic High School, which made national news last weekend when a group of students was seen on video in a controversial exchange with a Native American protester in Washington, D.C., is a member of the diocese.

This story will be updated.</s>The Diocese of Covington, at the center of a controversy over students’ behavior during a confrontation with a Native American man last week, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following reports of a suspicious package.

The evacuation, first reported by local media, was confirmed by an on-duty firefighter at Covington’s Firehouse #1, a short distance from the Catholic basilica, which houses the diocese.

“The chief and the assistant fire chief are on the run,” the firefighter said, “and this is an active, ongoing situation.”

According to WLWT5, Cincinnati Bomb Squad and emergency management was on the scene in central Covington. Local TV stations showed emergency vehicles responding.

The diocese has been responding to a nationwide controversy that erupted over the Martin Luther King Day weekend after a video went viral showing a group of Covington Catholic High School boys on steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where students travel annually for the antiabortion March for Life.

One of the student was shown standing in front of Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, who was beating a drum during the Indigenous Peoples March. A larger group of Covington Catholic students stood nearby, laughing and gesturing.

[Death threats and protests: Kentucky town reels from fallout over Lincoln Memorial faceoff]

The diocese and school were both closed Tuesday because of threats and a planned protest by Native Americans, according to a statement on the diocese web site.

“Due to threats of violence and the possibility of large crowds the Diocese was advised to close Covington Catholic High School, the Diocesan Curia and neighboring Covington Latin School,” the statement said.

The protest outside the diocese Tuesday morning attracted about 70 people, including many members of the media, and passed off peacefully.

On Wednesday morning, Covington Catholic High School reopened with a heavy police presence at its entrances along Dixie Highway and with white vans blocking a neighboring parking lot that offered an overview of the sprawling campus of the all-boys school.</s>Kenton County authorities are investigating Wednesday afternoon a suspicious package that arrived at the Diocese of Covington, according to a Kenton County dispatcher.

A 911 caller said the package arrived by mail, and that the building is being evacuating, the dispatcher said.

“We have been called. They’re investigating,” the dispatcher added.

Authorities said the evacuation was underway at about 4:30 p.m.

The investigation comes on the heels of an incident in Washington, D.C., this past weekend involving Covington Catholic High School students, participants in an Indigenous Peoples March and members of the Black Hebrew Israelites, a hate group. Videos of the incident sparked national debate.</s>A Kentucky boys’ school shut down its campus on Tuesday as a precaution and a small protest was held outside their diocese as fallout continued over an encounter between white teenagers, Native American marchers and a black religious sect outside the Lincoln Memorial last week.

COVINGTON, Ky. — A Kentucky boys’ school shut down its campus on Tuesday as a precaution and a small protest was held outside their diocese as fallout continued over an encounter between white teenagers, Native American marchers and a black religious sect outside the Lincoln Memorial last week.

President Donald Trump tweeted early Tuesday that the students at Covington Catholic High School “have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be” but says he hopes the teens will use the attention for good, and “maybe even to bring people together.”

The recorded images that initially generated outrage on social media were tightly focused on the students wearing “Make America Great Again” hats who seemed to laugh derisively as they surrounded an elderly Native American beating a drum.

Longer videos from wider perspectives emerged later over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. They revealed that the drummer had intervened between the boys and the religious sect, at a moment when the teens seemed to be getting rowdier and the black street preacher with a megaphone who had been making racist statements against both groups was escalating his rhetoric.

Soon, all sides were pointing fingers , speaking their own truths about feeling victimized and misunderstood. And even after a fuller picture emerged, many people didn’t seem ready Tuesday to let it go.

“We just don’t know what the volatility of the situation is with these people that react and they don’t know the full story. And it’s very scary,” Jill Hamlin of Cincinnati, who was there to chaperone as the boys attended an anti-abortion rally, told FOX News Tuesday morning.

The American Indian Movement Chapter of Indiana and Kentucky held a small protest outside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, with activists outnumbered by the media. Meanwhile, the school’s principal, Robert Rowe, said that “after meeting with local authorities,” they decided to close the campus “to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff.”

The diocese, which initially issued a statement criticizing the boys’ behavior, was unavailable for comment Tuesday morning. Both the school and the diocese websites were taken offline.

Kentucky’s governor also weighed in, saying he was saddened by what happened.

“It was amazing how quick those who preach tolerance and non-judgment of others were to judge and label some high school students based on partial information,” Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted. “In a world where we have a wealth of information at our fingertips, we have increasingly little discernment and wisdom… Facts matter…The truth matters…Context matters… A little more genuine caring for one another and a little less digital vitriol would be good for all.”</s>The student who stared at an elderly Native American protester drumming in his face outside the Lincoln Memorial says he did nothing to provoke the man in the videotaped confrontation. He identified himself as Nick Sandmann. Jan. 19, 2019

- The school at the center of the controversial video, showing an encouter between teens and a Native American elder, was closed on Tuesday while protests continued over the emotionally charged incident.

Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky said it shut down its campus as a security precaution. The school and its studenst have been targetted with threats. There was also a small protest outside Diocese of Covington as part of the ongoing fallout following a confrontation involving white teenagers, Native American marchers and a black religious sect outside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Friday.

"Due to threats of violence and the possibility of large crowds the Diocese was advised to close Covington Catholic High School, the Diocesan Curia and neighboring Covington Latin School," said a joint statement from the school and the Diocese of Covington.

The statement went on to say, "Concerning the incident in Washington, D.C., between Covington Catholic students, Elder Nathan Phillips and Black Hebrew Israelites the independent, third-party investigation is planned to begin this week. This is a very serious matter that has already permanently altered the lives of many people. It is important for us to gather the facts that will allow us to determine what corrective actions, if any, are appropriate."

The incident prompted reaction from President Trump early Tuesday who tweeted that the students at the school "have become symbols of Fake News and how evil it can be" but says he hopes the teens will use the attention for good, and "maybe even to bring people together."

The recorded images that initially generated outrage on social media were tightly focused on the students wearing "Make America Great Again" hats who seemed to laugh derisively as they surrounded an elderly Native American beating a drum. 

 

 Longer videos from wider perspectives emerged later over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. They revealed that the drummer had intervened between the boys and the religious sect, at a moment when the teens seemed to be getting rowdier and the black street preacher with a megaphone who had been making racist statements against both groups was escalating his rhetoric.

 

 Both sides have argued that they felt victimized and misunderstood. The incident has triggered strong reaction and outrage from the public, as well as the parties involved. 

 

 "We just don't know what the volatility of the situation is with these people that react and they don't know the full story. And it's very scary," Jill Hamlin of Cincinnati, who was there to chaperone as the boys attended an anti-abortion rally, told FOX News Tuesday morning.

The American Indian Movement Chapter of Indiana and Kentucky held a small protest outside the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, with activists outnumbered by the media.

The school's principal, Robert Rowe, said that "after meeting with local authorities," they decided to close the campus "to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff." 

 

 The diocese, which initially issued a statement criticizing the boys' behavior, was unavailable for comment Tuesday morning. Both the school and the diocese websites were taken offline.

Kentucky's governor also weighed in, saying he was saddened by what happened.

"It was amazing how quick those who preach tolerance and non-judgment of others were to judge and label some high school students based on partial information," Gov. Matt Bevin tweeted. "In a world where we have a wealth of information at our fingertips, we have increasingly little discernment and wisdom... Facts matter...The truth matters...Context matters... A little more genuine caring for one another and a little less digital vitriol would be good for all."
The Diocese of Covington building in the U.S. state of Kentucky is evacuated after "suspicious" packages were reportedly found outside. Authorities cleared the building of threats later in the evening.