Douglas County sheriff’s deputies are investigating the discovery of a small bomb early Tuesday morning outside the Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.

Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Lewis said the homemade explosive was located in the parking lot south of the Downtown Lawrence building, home to the sheriff’s office, county court system and Lawrence Police Department.

Lewis said the device, which was discovered by a Lawrence police officer at 4:45 a.m., was the size of two thumbs put together. It was located in a parking stall in the middle of the parking lot, about 30 to 40 yards from the building.

“It was a very small item,” said Lewis. “Looked like a piece of cardboard.”

The Olathe, Kan., fire department’s bomb squad was called in for assistance and destroyed the device with a robot and a high-pressure water blast, Lewis said. The parking lot was reopened at 7:50 a.m.

Lewis said the device did not appear to be a significant threat.

“Anytime there’s a potential or suspected explosive device anywhere, we take it seriously,” he said.

Officers asked anyone with information about the situation to call Crime Stoppers at 843-TIPS, where anonymous callers are eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.