On the morning of January 27th, rangers responded to a call from contract security officers who reported that a man had been denied access to the Liberty Bell Center for refusing routine screening at the entrance station and telling screeners that he had explosives in his bag. Rangers arrived as he was exiting the building and followed him to the 700 block of Market Street, approximately a block west of the Liberty Bell Center. When they contacted him, he became argumentative and non-compliant and was handcuffed after a brief struggle. All pedestrian and vehicle traffic between 7th and 8th Streets along Philadelphia's busy Market Street was stopped for over an hour while the Philadelphia Police Department's bomb squad checked the two bags removed from his person for explosives. None were found. The man remains in police custody and currently faces a number of federal and local charges as a result of the incident. The NPS is assisting in the ongoing investigation, which is now headed by the FBI.

Contact Information
Name: Layla Schade, Park Ranger