Palatka Police Department, St. Johns County bomb squad investigating suspicious package downtown

The Palatka Police Department said it is investigating a suspicious package in the downtown area.

There is a large police presence near 3rd and Laurel streets, PPD said in a Facebook post. The investigation began not long after the Veterans Day parade concluded.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

Assistant Chief Matt Newcomb said the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office bomb squad is assisting PPD with the investigation of the package.

PPD is asking people to avoid the area while the investigation is happening.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.