Man who claims to have carried out a suicide attack on the Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier is pulled down by police officers after triggering an evacuation and leaving families with children stranded in the air – as tensions rise following the Israeli terror attack
- A man who claimed to have a bomb climbed the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier and stayed there for two hours before climbing down and being arrested
- Santa Monica police received the first call at 2:35 p.m. and cordoned off the pier; he climbed down around 4:30 p.m
- A cherry picker was sent to rescue those still inside the Ferris wheel, but was unable to reach those at the top who had to wait for the man to be removed
A man was arrested after he boarded the Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier and made a bomb threat, leaving riders stranded in the gondolas for two hours.
Police said the man, who climbed onto the steering wheel wearing sneakers, jeans and a T-shirt with a backpack on his back, appeared to be in “crisis.”
They sent negotiators who managed to talk him down. Nobody was injured.
The alarm was raised at 2:35 p.m. local time and at 4 p.m. the man appeared to be speaking to police negotiators. Half an hour later he climbed down and was arrested.
“The #SantaMonica Pier is closed due to police activity,” police tweeted.
“We have a subject who climbed the Ferris wheel.” Witnesses heard the perpetrator and said he had a bomb.
“Our officers are currently evacuating Pacific Park and the pier and our crisis negotiation team is contacting the individual who appears to be in crisis.”
In Santa Monica, a man climbs the Ferris wheel and claims he has a bomb
He is seen climbing down as police stand ready to grab him and arrest him
The unnamed man was arrested by police in Santa Monic and is facing questioning
BREAKING: Santa Monica police are advising people to avoid the Santa Monica Pier in California after a man attempted to climb the Ferris wheel. According to witnesses, the man claimed to have a bomb. pic.twitter.com/3PslMRuNKd
— EvoCentral (@evocentralnews) October 9, 2023
The Santa Monica Pier is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Los Angeles area
Photos on social media showed a heavy police presence.
“I can confirm that we have officers at the pier contacting an individual at Pacific Park,” Lt. Erika Aklufi, spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Police Department.
“We are closing the pier to control access for officers.”
The man was seen clinging to the main axle of the bike, with no belt visible.
It was unclear how he managed to climb the structure.
A police spokesperson told KTLA 5 that the pier was “moderately busy” at the time, noting that it was a sunny day at the beach and crowds were enjoying the good weather.