May 1st, 2010
11:31 PM ET

NYC's Times Square shut down over suspicious car

Several blocks around New York's Times Square were closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic Saturday night after a police officer saw smoke emanating from a box inside a parked car, according to authorities.

New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne told CNN that the shutdown began after a foot patrol officer passed by a Nissan Pathfinder with Connecticut plates on 45th Street between and 7th and 8th Avenues. Browne said the officer noticed a box inside the car with smoke coming out.

Browne said officials at the scene were using a robot to search inside the car. The police department's public information office said the box and other items found in the search are not confirmed at this time to be a bomb.

The Marriott Marquee Hotel wasn't allowing anyone to enter or leave the hotel Saturday night, and at least one nearby restaurant, TGI Friday's, had closed to customers and was evacuating staff.

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Filed under: Times Square Car Bomb • U.S.
soundoff (254 Responses)
  1. Aaron

    I agree no matter who is in charge. This should cost someone, maybe more, their respective jobs!

    May 2, 2010 at 1:49 am | Report abuse |
  2. Bill

    I think this is just another test run for something big. Just before New Year’s Eve someone parked a van in TS and it was there for two days before anyone did anything about it. I was there for the first WTC bombing. That was a test run to see how the building was constructed and now much would be needed to bring it down. This second vehicle in TS shows what kind of response the Police, Fire and Bomb Squad have. They are really planning something big. Everyone has to keep their eyes open and be aware of their surroundings.

    May 2, 2010 at 1:53 am | Report abuse |
  3. Tony

    What's truly odd is News works on attribution, i.e., a Police source said. . . "

    AP reports suspected bomb, Dpty Commissioner Browne says appears to be.

    That's sufficient attribution, not only does CNN not report this bomb, but CNN's anchor changed Browne's words.

    May 2, 2010 at 1:57 am | Report abuse |
  4. JK

    MSNNC has Pete Williams on-air. He has some interesting analysis, as opposed to the CNN anchors who can only repeat the basic info and clearly know nothing about secuity/terrorism issues – this after 6 or 7 hours after the event began.

    May 2, 2010 at 2:02 am | Report abuse |
  5. RC

    Now they are talking how strange it is that its parked in front of the "Lion King' theatre.
    (talk about a bomb!) and that there is no parking 'facilitation'.

    May 2, 2010 at 2:13 am | Report abuse |
  6. Tony

    Bloomberg:

    An explosive device in SUV.

    May 2, 2010 at 2:21 am | Report abuse |
  7. Dawn Dawson

    I lay odds I had the first Tweet out with scanner traffic NYFD & Special ops PLUS 3 Live WebCams feed @northlandfox , usually do

    May 2, 2010 at 2:41 am | Report abuse |
  8. Dawn Dawson

    Anyone who has information about the vehicle or situation in Times Square should call the tips hotline (1-800-577-TIPS)

    May 2, 2010 at 2:50 am | Report abuse |
  9. july

    Suggest switching to another news source.

    May 2, 2010 at 2:05 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Catherine Berryhill

    Cat and mouse! Don't underestimate the enemy. Not a popular subject, today, but so true. What a better way, you tell me,a better way for the enemy to win, than to induce FEAR in people. "Mentally ill: Yeaaa. Nine eleven, no one ever said the words. Yet, they killed a lot of people. God looks down upon us, and He walks among us, And He says,, "insanity". And God's sanity is not ours. Ahhhh..Amen..

    May 2, 2010 at 3:30 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Steve

    Media in Australia had this story up 2 1/2 hours before CNN. Breaking news hey?

    May 2, 2010 at 10:17 pm | Report abuse |
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    April 28, 2012 at 6:09 pm | Report abuse |
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