The Independent U.K. reported today that police arrested a man in St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York who was carrying two full gas cans, lighter fluid and lighters. The man claimed to be cutting through the cathedral to get to Madison Avenue where his car was out of gas. The police accompanied him to his car and found that it was not out of gas. At that point the man was taken into custody.
The article notes:
The 37-year-old New Jersey man allegedly pulled up in a minivan outside the landmark in Manhattan on Wednesday night, walked around the area, and then returned to the vehicle to retrieve the items, said New York Police Department (NYPD).
“As he enters the cathedral he’s confronted by a cathedral security officer who asks him where he’s going and informs him he can’t proceed into the cathedral carrying these things,” said NYPD deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism John Miller.
“At that point some gasoline apparently spills out onto the floor as he’s turned around.”
Security then raised the alarm with counter-terrorism officers who were standing outside, Mr Miller said.
It is encouraging to me that there were counter-terrorism officers standing outside.
The article reports:
He added: “It’s hard to say exactly what his intentions were, but I think the totality of circumstances of an individual walking into an iconic location like St Patrick’s Cathedral carrying over four gallons of gasoline, two bottles of lighter fluid and lighters is something that we would have great concern over.”
“It’s hard to say exactly what his intentions were…” Are you kidding me? That has to be the understatement of the year.
At any rate, I suspect that the police and security avoided what might have been a really awful event.