Police find man detained on Las Vegas Strip never made bomb threats on bus
Part of Las Vegas Boulevard South was closed for about an hour Saturday afternoon as police investigated what turned out to be a false report of possible bomb threats on a Regional Transportation Commission bus.
About noon, police received a report that a man riding an RTC bus had possibly made threats to the driver and passengers, Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Grant Rogers said.
The bus later stopped on the Strip in front of Caesars Palace. Police detained the 53-year-old man at 12:45 p.m., Rogers said. Las Vegas Boulevard South was closed from Spring Mountain Road to Flamingo Road for about 10 minutes during the investigation, Rogers said.
Rogers said the man never made any bomb threats, and people on the bus were just “scared by the way he was dressed” as he had a white headpiece on.
The man was also carrying a large duffel bag, which made people “uneasy,” Rogers said.
When officers examined the man’s duffel bag, nothing suspicious was found. Inside the bag were a sleeping bag, food and a change of clothes, “basic items a homeless person carries,” Rogers said.
The man may be mentally ill as he was talking to himself, Rogers said. He had said things along the lines of, “today is a good day to die,” Rogers said, however he threatened no one.
No arrests were made.
Review-Journal reporter Jessica Terrones contributed to this report. Contact Max Michor at mmichor@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Find @MaxMichor on Twitter.
