A bomb threat, which turned out to be a hoax, brought gambling activities in a casino resort in Las Vegas to a halt on Saturday. Arizona Charlie’s Hotel and Casino was the scene of the ‘crime’ when a man walked up to the security desk and told the officer on duty that he was carrying a bomb.
The man showed the officer the device that was strapped to his body, which looked like a bomb. The coolheaded female officer managed to call for backup during the process. She gently urged the man to step outside the casino with the ‘bomb’, while other members of staff quickly evacuated the establishment. Boulder Highway, the strip of road on which Arizona Charlie sits was also closed for the duration of the incident.
The man told security that they had only five minutes to evacuate the casino, otherwise he would blow it up with the patrons inside. He also asked police to shoot him dead, threatening to blow up the casino if he did not. This has led to claims that he was after a ‘suicide by cop’ method of dying.
“He kept saying, ‘Shoot me or I’m going to blow this thing up,’” recalled Sgt. John Sheahan of the Las Vegas police, who was at the scene.
It soon became evident through negotiations held with the man by a special team that was called in, that he was actually carrying a fake bomb. He was eventually convinced to give himself up to the police and it was confirmed that the device he was carrying was fake.
The man was placed under arrest and could be charged with a federal offence. The police could not comment further on the charges the man faces.
