BIPOC

Wired 55-Gallon Barrel with ‘Thin Blue Line’ Flag Causes Bomb Scare in Seattle

Authorities closed Sound Transit light rail service and MLK Blvd. in Seattle as the bomb squad investigated

Published

2 years ago

June 30, 2022

A picture of a black barrel with boards on the top, a flag pole, and a thin blue line flag attached. The barrel has several thick black wires connected to it, one runs along the sidewalk

[SEATTLE, Wash.] – MTN At approximately 12:45 PM, the Seattle Police Department’s bomb squad was called to the 6500 block of Martin Luther King Blvd. in Seattle to investigate a 55-gallon drum with a “thin blue line” flag that had multiple wires connected to it placed on the sidewalk. The bomb squad determined the device was not a threat.

Residents started to inquire about the display in the morning on social media, eventually leading to a police response. When officers arrived and saw the barrel had wires connected to it, they closed Martin Luther King Blvd. and deployed the bomb squad.

Sound Transit suspended train service between the Columbia City Station and Othello Station due to the police investigation. Link Shuttle busses were used between the stations and diverted around the area of police activity.

How do I report this suspicious package that’s all wired up on the sidewalk in Seattle on MLK? pic.twitter.com/Uw7SW49eAZ
— Andrew G Davis (@agdtinman) June 30, 2022

The Seattle Police Department is still investigating.

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