A man in a pickup truck claiming to have a bomb in his vehicle prompted a standoff between him and the Bethlehem police Friday morning that closed several streets near the west side of the Bethlehem Area Public Library.
After talking with the man for an hour and a half, he surrendered and was taken into custody by police, according to Sgt. Simon Boddie of the Bethlehem Police Department. No device was found in the car, but he had a military-style knife in his possession, Boddie said.
The altercation began at 11:15 a.m. when the 46-year-old Bethlehem resident drove his truck into the City Hall parking garage. Upon arriving, he notified two sergeants that he had a bomb in his vehicle. He subsequently left the city parking garage and stopped in in the middle of the street near the public library.
It also became clear to police that there was a female present in the truck.
Police conversed with the man from an armored vehicle with the use of a bullhorn for an hour and a half. The female was then able to safely leave the vehicle, with the male exiting the truck and being taken into custody moments after.
During the standoff, Moravian College instituted a “shelter in place” for their South Campus residents.
According to The Morning Call, the man will be charged with a felony for making terroristic threats.
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