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Dispatchers at 6:53 p.m. received a call “threatening that an individual who was suicidal was in the Pizza Hut in Fort Lee and had a bomb strapped to his person along with a fully automatic rifle,” Bendul said.
“This individual threatened to kill all the patrons in the restaurant,” adding that he was “there with his friends,” the chief said.
A short time later, the Fort Lee Communications Center “received a second call from an individual who stated he had just left the Pizza Hut in Fort Lee and thought there were several people there acting suspicious and that police should be sent there to investigate,” Bendul said. “There was no other information given by both of the callers who terminated their calls.
“Management of Pizza Hut on scene stated they received similar calls shortly before Fort Lee Police arrival,” the chief said.
“Initial investigation also revealed that several patrons or unknown persons at the restaurant left frantically in different directions or secured themselves in restaurant rooms after learning of the threat that was called in,” he said.
Fort Lee police who arrived almost immediately surrounded the building, evacuated 20 or so customers and about a half-dozen employees, and closed down the highway. They also set up an emergency command post at the Exxon station next door and requested bomb-detection dogs from the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and New Jersey State Police.
“For the next four and a half hours, on scene Emergency Services Personnel methodically searched all areas of the building interior as well as exterior grounds for any persons, suspicious packages, explosive devices or weapons” and found nothing, Bendul said.
SEE BELOW: Full text of Fort Lee Police Chief Keith Bendul’s statement
Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield police, joined Fort Lee uniformed officers, detectives, Emergency Service Unit personnel and command supervisors — along with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Bureau of Police Services, Port Authority Police and the NJSP.
Service stations along the route eventually shut down, while access to the Wendy’s and Dunkin Donuts was restricted to Bergen Boulevard.
Area roads were choked with traffic detoured in both directions by the state DOT.
Bendul said his detectives were already teaming up with their counterparts in other Bergen and Passaic County towns where “swatting” incidents have taxed resources, in a bid to hunt down whomever was responsible.
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WHAT WE THINK: We want to feel that, as Americans, we can solve any crime, catch any miscreant. But swatting has created a treacherous form of terrorism that, sooner or later, could at the very least strike an innocent with a seizure or heart attack caused by the anxiety of such a terrifying moment. READ MORE….
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CLIFFVIEW PILOT photos
FULL TEXT of FORT LEE POLICE CHIEF KEITH BENDUL’S STATEMENT:
On May 24, 2015, at approximately 1853 Hours, a phone call was received by Fort Lee Police Communications Center dispatchers threatening that an individual who was suicidal, was in the Pizza Hut in Fort lee and had a bomb strapped to his person along with a fully automatic rifle.
This individual threated to kill all the patrons in the restaurant stating he was there with his friends.
Shortly after, Fort Lee Communications Center received a second call from an individual who stated he had just left the Pizza Hut in Fort Lee and thought there were several people there acting suspicious and that police should be sent there to investigate.
There was no other information given by both of the callers who terminated their calls.
As a result, Fort Lee Police Officers and Supervisors responded to the location and implemented an emergency safety response and procedures to address that threat as credible.
Initial Officers on scene conducted an orderly evacuation and security check of patrons and employees who were present at the restaurant.
They identified managerial staff there and investigated the threats that were called into Fort Lee Communications Center earlier. Management of Pizza Hut on scene stated they received similar calls shortly before Fort Lee Police arrival.
Initial investigation also revealed that several patrons or unknown persons at the restaurant left frantically in different directions or secured themselves in restaurant rooms after learning of the threat that was called in.
Officers secured the restaurant after the initial evacuation and treated the scene as a credible bomb threat and possible armed barricaded subject.
Additional Officers, Detectives, Emergency Service Unit Personnel, as well as Command Supervisors were dispatched to the Fort Lee Pizza Hut and surrounding area, in order to secure the building, grounds, and entrances, while remaining aware of any suspicious activity.
Route 1 North and South, as well as a perimeter area surrounding the building were closed off to vehicles and pedestrians. An emergency command post was established on Route One South at a business east of that location.
Patrons and employees evacuated were interviewed at the location and were moved to a pre-determined safety area at the Fort Lee Police Department.
Specialized assistance was requested and received from the Bergen County Sherriff’s Department and Port Authority Police of New York and New Jersey in the form of trained bomb detection K-9 dogs, bomb squad unit and Emergency Services Unit.
New Jersey State Police responded with Troopers for assistance. Surrounding towns of Palisades Park, Edgewater, Leonia, provided Officers for police call response while Fort Lee Officers addressed the bomb threat scene. New Jersey State DOT responded for highway and access road closures.
For the next four and a half hours, on scene Emergency Services Personnel, methodically searched all areas of the building interior as well as exterior grounds for any persons, suspicious packages, explosive devices or weapons.
This search resulted in no suspicious persons or explosive devices located.
The threat is under investigation by the Fort Lee Police Detective Bureau. The investigation is also reviewing similar types of “Swatting” incidents which have occurred throughout Bergen and Passaic Counties in recent months.
“Swatting” is a term where individuals using various means of information technology systems, launch false calls for emergency services, tricking emergency personnel to respond en mass to calls of major incidents. A joint investigation into these Bomb threat incidents has been launched and is continuing at this time.
Keith Bendul
Fort Lee Chief of Police
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