Suspicious package found near Overland Park Planned Parenthood, agency says
A suspicious package was found outside a Planned Parenthood location in Overland Park, officials at the health center said Monday.
Officials at Planned Parenthood contacted police, who responded to the scene Monday morning, said Anamarie Rebori-Simmons, a spokeswoman with Planned Parenthood Great Plains.
By late morning, the package was safely removed by police, she said. Even so, the clinic remained closed for the day.
“To allow for the area to be cleared and processed by authorities, we made the decision to close the facility for the day,” Rebori-Simmons said in an email. “We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our patients and staff and are focused on providing care. We appreciate the quick, coordinated response by law enforcement.”
An employee with Planned Parenthood noticed the package near the center’s front door at about 6:45 a.m. when they got to work, Officer John Lacy, a spokesman with the Overland Park Police Department, said in an email Monday afternoon.
The department’s bomb unit and the Overland Park Fire Department responded to the scene.
It was later determined the object was a gas can, Lacy said. The police department is continuing to investigate the incident with the help of a federal agency.
The health center, located in the 4400 block of 109th Street, provides services including birth control, HIV services, pregnancy testing and services and women’s and men’s health care. It is one of the only abortion providers in the area.
News of the suspicious package came a day after a hand recount in Sedgwick County confirmed that the Value Them Both amendment, which sought to remove abortion rights from the Kansas Constitution, failed by a wide margin in one of the state’s largest counties, just as it did statewide.
Kansas has been a vital location for abortion access even before Missouri and Oklahoma banned most abortions in June, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The Star’s Lisa Gutierrez and Katie Bernard contributed to this report.
