At 8:30 a.m. Friday, an on-duty Locust police officer received a phone call from an employee of the Sunrise Grill stating the business had just received a call that there was a bomb in the restaurant, according to a Locust Police press release posted on the department’s Facebook page.

Local officers responded and evacuated the business at 118 W. Main St. while also notifying employees of businesses beside the restaurant.

An initial walkthrough by Locust officers revealed no suspicious packages or materials.

Out of caution and per response protocol, the West Stanly Fire Department and Stanly County EMS arrived on the scene. Deputies from the Stanly County Sheriff’s Office arrived as well as K-9 deputies from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.

A walkthrough by the Cabarrus County K-9 deputies revealed no presence of a suspected bomb or suspicious item and the business was deemed safe at approximately 10:25 a.m.

The Locust Police are continuing to investigate the source of the phone call that claimed the bomb was inside the business.

According to the press release, if the individual who made the call is located “all applicable charges will be evaluated and pursued.”