Explosives Scare Shuts Down Seattle Ferry Dock

SEATTLE - The Colman ferry dock in downtown Seattle was evacuated during the Wednesday evening rush hour after an explosives-sniffing dog indicated interest in something inside a vehicle driven by an unruly man.

A bomb squad eventually found fireworks in the man's vehicle, but nothing more sinister, Washington State Patrol Lt. Steve McCulley said.

The 51-year-old Tacoma man, whose name was not released, "is known to Seattle police," McCulley said. Details were not immediately available, except that the Seattle police contacts included "some arrests involving some sort of explosives, and some mental health issues as well."

The man drove on to the ferry Tacoma on the Bainbridge Island side without paying about 4:30 p.m.

Crew members said he was uncooperative and appeared to be intoxicated, so the State Patrol was notified and troopers were waiting when the ferry docked in Seattle, McCulley said.

"He was, in fact, very highly intoxicated," McCulley said.

He was removed from the vehicle and detained while a bomb-sniffing dog checked the vehicle and indicated interest in something.

At that point, shortly after 5:30 p.m., Colman dock was shut down and evacuated, and ferry service was suspended.

After the man's vehicle was found to contain only fireworks, service resumed at 7:44 p.m.

The man was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of DUI and reckless driving, McCulley said.

The Colman dock is the hub for busy commuter ferries that serve Bremerton and Bainbridge Island.

Two ferries bound for the terminal waited offshore in Elliott Bay while service was suspended.

Nobody was hurt during the incident.