Campus Connection

Media Credit: Kaushal Asrani Baltimore Police Bomb Squad

Media Credit: Kaushal Asrani Baltimore Police Bomb Squad members in action

Media Credit: Kaushal Asrani Baltimore Police Bomb Squad members in action 2

Media Credit: Kaushal Asrani Bomb squad members getting ready to detonate the crude explosive

Media Credit: Kaushal Asrani A view of the scene of action from inside Biopark I

UMB Campus Police arrested a man carrying a crude explosive in his backpack on Tuesday morning July 22. The man, who was behaving suspiciously, was stopped and questioned by a police officer around 7:30 am near the UMB Biopark Parking lot. When the officer tried to frisk him, a scuffle ensued, at which time a makeshift bomb fell out of his bag.

The University Police in conjunction with the Baltimore City Police are investigating this incident. The name of the person arrested has not been released at this time and the exact motive remains unknown, though the Police say it is not related to the university. An email sent out to people who work at the Biopark mentioned that the police suspect the explosive device to have been a “pipe bomb” and that this was just “an isolated incident.”

A Baltimore police spokesman, Sterling Clifford said to the Baltimore Sun, “The man was clutching his side as if he was trying to conceal a weapon.” He also said that the bomb “would have been unable to do serious damage.” The Baltimore Police Bomb Squad was called in, and around 11.30 am they detonated the device.

The schedules of UMB students, faculty and staff as well as employees of firms located in the Biopark were disrupted for the better part of the morning as the incident was unfolding. Eyewitnesses said that the whole Biopark region was cordoned off and no cars were allowed to enter the 800 block of W. Baltimore Street from Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. People were discouraged from walking towards the Buildings and were not allowed to enter until the Bomb Squad arrived.

Most students did not realize the seriousness of this incident until they received email or text messages from UMB Alerts saying, “Emergency personnel are investigating a suspicious package at the BioPark. Check UMB Alerts page for details.” A search of the areas around Biopark Buildings I and II as well of the interior was conducted by security personnel and it did not reveal the presence of any suspicious items.

Assault charges against the man arrested are going to be filed by the UMB Police and the city police will charge him for possessing an explosive device.

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