Police arrested a man on Monday morning following a bomb threat against the U.S. consulate in downtown Halifax.
Halifax Regional Police say the U.S. consulate received the threat on Sunday and contacted police shortly after 6 p.m.
Police identified the man who made the threat and began searching for him on Sunday evening, Sgt. Michelle Dooks told reporters.
Police located the man’s car around 8:10 a.m. inside the parkade by the Purdy’s Wharf towers, where the consulate is located. Police said the vehicle had a propane tank inside and several containers that appeared to contain flammable liquid, and the Explosive Disposal Unit was called in. A suspicious bag was also located nearby, police said.
Police issued an alert about a bomb threat in the area of Upper Water Street and evacuated the surrounding area in downtown Halifax, which included two large office towers, a hotel and the Halifax casino.
Police said the 54-year-old man was located on Thomas Raddall Drive in the Clayton Park area of Halifax around 8:35 a.m. and taken into custody.
“Given the concern that he may be in possession of explosives, road closures were in place for much of the day on Thomas Raddall Drive and surrounding areas while his belongings were searched with the support of the RCMP Explosive Disposal Unit,” police said in a news release.
The nearby Canada Games Centre was closed as a result but was scheduled to reopen at 4 p.m.
At 2 p.m., police confirmed that the vehicle and its contents did not pose a risk to public safety and all streets were reopened.
Sgt. Dooks said police are currently interviewing the man and the ongoing investigation is being led by the combined RCMP-Halifax Regional Police Major Crimes Unit.
Thomas Shull was one of the tourists evacuated from the hotel in the downtown zone on Monday morning.
He said he was in the shower when the alarm went off and a voice over the speaker urged everyone in the hotel to leave.
He said he didn’t know why he had to evacuate until he searched online.
Amy Schwarz, who had a flight scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon back to New York, said she couldn’t get past the police barriers to get her luggage and rental car in the hotel, but she understands why the safety precautions are necessary.
Part of downtown Halifax evacuated due to bomb threat
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