Metro News Release

For immediate release: December 6, 2007

Metro Transit Police arrest man in Pentagon station closure

Metro Transit Police arrested a Northern Virginia man late this afternoon for a false bomb scare that delayed of thousands of Blue and Yellow Line riders.

Police arrested Ting Liu, 34, of Fairfax County, Va., after he allegedly claimed another man was carrying a bomb in a briefcase. The incident was reported to Metro Transit Police and Pentagon Police and resulted in the closure of the Pentagon Metrorail station at 2:42 p.m.

The station was closed for 78 minutes and reopened at 4 p.m. while law enforcement officials investigated the suspicious package at the station near the faregates. Nothing dangerous was discovered. Liu is charged with making a false bomb threat and disorderly conduct. The charge is a felony and carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Metro customers experienced significant delays during the incident because trains were not passing through the station. Instead, Blue and Yellow Line trains turned back at the stations on each side of the Pentagon Metrorail station–at Pentagon City and Arlington Cemetery Metrorail stations–and at L’Enfant Plaza Metrorail station.

Free shuttle buses were available at L’Enfant Plaza, Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon City and Pentagon Metrorail stations to get customers around the incident.

News release issued at 12:00 am, December 6, 2007.