Thursday, February 24th 2005
Bomb Threat?
I was just walking back home from campus, and I noticed that yellow police tape surrounded my usual path. On the alternate route, I saw a “Police Bomb Unit” van and some officers being interviewed by the local media. I’ll try to find further details. This is all that’s up on the Berkeley NewsCenter at the moment:
BERKELEY – The campus community should be aware that the pathway through the Eucalyptus Grove and Grinnell Natural Area to downtown Berkeley and BART has been temporarily cordoned off by the UC Police Department.
Pedestrians and bicyclists at the west end of campus should use Frank Schlessinger Way instead.
Let’s hope it was nothing.
UPDATE
Good news:
BERKELEY – UC Berkeley police reopened the pathway through the Eucalyptus Grove and Grinnell Natural Area to downtown Berkeley and BART at about 6:30 p.m. Thursday night (Feb. 24) after determining that a suspicious package left on the west campus path did not represent a danger.
The package, a large black bag with the word “boom” written on it, was reported to UCPD just before 3 p.m. Thursday. Campus police cleared the area, cordoning off the pathway, and brought in the UCPD bomb squad to investigate the suspicious package.
The good news was that the package was a hoax. However, it is crime to leave a hoax bomb, and UCPD is continuing to search for suspects. In addition to criminal charges, those involved could be required to pay for the cost of the investigation and police response.
