Police clear suspicious vehicle at Amway Center

A suspicious vehicle near the Amway Center brought all activity to a halt Saturday afternoon.

A police dog, conducting a routine check of vehicles near the venue, indicated there was something suspicious in a silver Chevrolet Suburban.

As a precaution, a portion of South Street was closed. The Orlando Police Department Bomb Squad was called in to investigate.

“I was just told the street was locked down.  There was suspicious activity,” said eyewitness Kim Coley.

About an hour later, the all-clear was given when bomb technicians determined the alert by the dog was false.

“It seems kind of routine at this point to be very suspicious about activity when there's going to be a lot of celebrities and famous people around,” Coley said.

Police spokesman Sgt. Vincent Ogburn told WFTV the Suburban was rented by someone and it was being used for functions related to the NBA All-Star weekend.

“It's great we got the all clear and the city can continue on,” said Javier Sepulveda, who was near the Amway Center during the brief scare.

City officials are bracing for crowds up to 100,000 people.

Authorities plan to check every vehicle that enters the secure area at the Amway Center throughout the weekend.