A suspicious item that was being treated as a possible bomb was found in the back of a car at AutoReturn, the city-contracted company that handles towed vehicles. The discovery was made before noon, with police on the scene shortly, and just before 3 p.m. the area was deemed safe after hours at a standstill. A message from SFPD Officer Giselle Talkoff explains: "This incident has been deemed safe. We can confirm a note left on the vehicle is what led to the investigation. At this time, we can not provide the information on the note as this is still an open and active investigation. The Bomb squad deemed the vehicle in question safe and did not present any further concerns."
#SFPD Investigating a Suspicious Incident @ 7th & Bryant. Avoid the Area, 7th St. Exit & Street Closures #Traffic #SF #SOMA @CHP_GoldenGate
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) October 20, 2016
Avoid the area of 7th and Bryant due to SFPD activity
— San Francisco DEM (@SF_emergency) October 20, 2016
ALERTSF: Avoid the area of 7th and Bryant due to SFPD activity. Bomb squad responding
— SF Firefighters 798 (@SFFFLocal798) October 20, 2016
According to Bay City News, those inside the nearby Hall of Justice are not being allowed to leave.
Bomb threat triggers lockdown at 850 Bryant. No one can leave Hall Of Justice in SF @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/md7jP7taQM
— Jaxon Van Derbeken (@jvanderbeken) October 20, 2016
Update 12:20 p.m. A shelter in place was issued by the SFPD.
Helicopters buzzing over SF to film suspicious incident at 7th and Bryant pic.twitter.com/dkrfG4S28u
— Jessica Mullins (@Mullin_Around) October 20, 2016
Update 12:40 p.m. The Hall of Justice was voluntarily evacuated.
Update 1:10 p.m. A tweet from a Chronicle breaking news reporter stated that two noises were nothing to worry about:
Two pops spaced minutes apart just came from the impound yard in SF where police are investigating a possible bomb. NOT a detonation, per PD
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) October 20, 2016
The pops were audible from outside the crime tape on 7th and Bryant. @OfficerManfredi says they could have been trying to pop the trunk.
— Michael Bodley (@michael_bodley) October 20, 2016
Update 1:15: California Highway Patrol arrived on the scene.
UPDATE 7TH/HARRISON CHP IS STARTING FREEWAY CLOSURE, BOMB SQUAD IS ON SCENE. HOJ SHELTER IN PLACE.
— SF Firefighters 798 (@SFFFLocal798) October 20, 2016
A tweet from an ABC7 reporter showed wha was purportedly the epicenter of all this: A white car in the AutoReturn lot.
#breaking this is the white car under bomb threat suspicion at 7th/Bryant in #SF. Hall of justice and 101 closed!! pic.twitter.com/taJb189sM4
— Kristen Sze (@abc7kristensze) October 20, 2016
Update 1:25 p.m. News outlets received this from SFPD:
Please pull your choppers back, or if possible, also gain altitude. The rotor noise is hampering the investigation.Please do NOT show video or photos of the EOD Unit as they set up, work the situation, or break down their operations. We do not want to educate anyone as to the EOD Units procedures or capabilities.
SFist immediately pulled its entire fleet of aerial drones.
Update 2:30 p.m.CHP was directing drivers looking to access the Bay Bridge to go east and take on ramps at Essex, First, Sterling, or Fifth.
Update 2:40 p.m. The area got the all clear.
#SFPD has rendered the scene safe & lifted the shelter in place. Streets will reopen shortly. Avoid area if possible due to traffic. #SF
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) October 20, 2016
According to ABC7, courts remain closed for the day. Streets and highways, however, are reopening.
This post has be updated.
