Man Arrested on Suspicion of Making Terror-Related Bomb Threat at Florida Red Lobster
Police in Largo, Florida, arrested a man suspected of walking into a restaurant with a bag he said contained an explosive device.
According to WFTS, the general manager of a Red Lobster called the Largo Police Department Thursday afternoon to report the incident, telling authorities the customer claimed to be a terrorist.
“Just to make you smile, I work for the Taliban and I have a bomb in this bag,” the suspect said, according to the manager’s account.
Restaurant staff seated the man, later identified by police as Freddie Claudrick Bryant, and a woman with him, at a table away from other customers.
Once notified of the threat, police evacuated employees and other customers.
Bomb squad at Red Lobster in Largo. Man walked in and said, “Just to make you smile, I work for the Taliban and I have a bomb in this bag.” pic.twitter.com/v0j2BakBl2
— Josh Rojas (@JoshRojasBN9) September 28, 2017
Reports indicate the suspect left the restaurant through the front door a short time later and told officers his comment was intended to be a joke.
Police took the matter seriously, though, and a bomb squad thoroughly checked his belongings to ensure he was not in possession of any hazardous materials.
When the scene was deemed safe, officers arrested Bryant. He is expected to face charges related to falsely reporting a bomb or explosive.
The terror-related hoax came on the heels of reports in London of two men shouting “Allahu akbar” into a microphone while playing the sound of gunshots through a speaker.
Several Twitter users reacted to the tense situation in Largo by expressing a desire to see a harsh sentence for anyone responsible for such a threat.
While most comments conceded that incident, if accurately reported by the manager, could have been the result of a misguided joke, others saw a potentially more sinister motive.
was probably a dry run for his friends to see how people would react.
— Vincent Vaughn (@ngrgrvdgr99) September 28, 2017
No injuries as a result of the incident were reported. (For more from the author of “Man Arrested on Suspicion of Making Terror-Related Bomb Threat at Florida Red Lobster” please click HERE)
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