Police negotiators are trying to talk to a man barricaded inside a vehicle in Manhattan, where he’s suspected of tossing a hoax bomb through the window of a police vehicle, authorities said Thursday.
Chief of Department James O’Neill said a cylindrical object was tossed into the open window of a New York Police Department vehicle late Wednesday night. He said the object was thrown from another vehicle and turned out to include a candle and a harmless electrical component wrapped in cloth.
Officers spotted the suspect’s sport utility vehicle around 2 a.m. at Columbus Circle and pulled it over, O’Neill said. He said the driver refused to get out and donned a red plastic helmet. SWAT officers remain on the scene Thursday morning.
Police sent a robot equipped with a camera and microphone to communicate with the man, according to a report on Fox 5 “Good Day New York.” It said police are not trying to remove the man because they don’t know what’s inside his vehicle.
Surrounding streets have been closed, and subway trains are bypassing the area.
Police say two officers were in the marked vehicle when the device was tossed inside. The officers drove to a less-crowded area, placed the device on the sidewalk, exited the vehicle and took cover.
Officers from the NYPD bomb squad gave the all-clear a short time later. There are no reports of injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.