Aberdeen Proving Ground police were alerted to a suspicious person possibly carrying a rifle Wednesday morning, although further investigation revealed the person was not armed and was legitimately working on the federal installation.
Two APG employees reported a suspicious person possibly carrying a rifle walking in the post's Edgewood Area at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to a statement from the post public affairs office.
APG law enforcement personnel investigated, questioned the person and cleared the environmental contract employee after he was confirmed to be carrying a stick while surveying the area, according to the statement.
"It was a contract employee," APG Spokesman Michael Tuttle said Thursday. "He was actually working within the parameters of his job at the time."
No weapon was found during a sweep of the area by post law enforcement. The sweep was part of the security measures taken to protect the safety of post employees.
The two employees who noticed the surveyor, Tuttle said, were looking through a window from a "decent distance" away and were "just being safe."
APG remained operational throughout the incident, according to the statement.