Mukilteo ferry temporarily shut down by bomb threat
MUKILTEO, Wash. - Service on the Mukilteo-Clinton ferry route was suspended for about two hours Thursday morning after a man threatened to blow up the vessel then dropped a backpack from the upper deck onto the car deck, officials said.
Trooper Keith Leary of the Washington State Patrol said the man was arrested following the mid-morning incident aboard the ferry Cathlamet.
The ferry also was evacuated, and a security sweep of the vessel was conducted before service resumed with the 11 a.m. sailing from Mukilteo to Clinton.
The suspect, later identified as Michael W. Harsh, 32, of the Everett and Langley areas, boarded the ferry at Clinton, Leary said.
The threat was made as the ferry arrived in Mukilteo and was overheard by several passengers and crew members, who immediately reported it to the State Patrol. Harsh then was detained and a bomb squad was called to the scene, said state ferry system spokeswoman Marta Coursey.
"At approximately 9 a.m. this morning we had a passenger on the Cathlamet, that was docked at Mukilteo, report that he had something in his backpack, and he intended to blow up the vessel, and he has been immediately detained by the Washington State Patrol," Coursey said.
She said the threat was heard by several people in the vicinity before the man dropped his backpack onto the car deck below.
A security sweep of evacuated ferry was conducted by the Washington State Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard, Coursey said.
Leary says the backpack was found to contain only personal items, and no explosives. A security sweep of the vessel also found nothing suspicious.
The suspect was interviewed by the FBI and the Washington State Patrol.
Harsh later was booked into the Snohomish County jail for investigation of making threats to bomb. Bail was set at $25,000.
Trooper Keith Leary of the Washington State Patrol said the man was arrested following the mid-morning incident aboard the ferry Cathlamet.
The ferry also was evacuated, and a security sweep of the vessel was conducted before service resumed with the 11 a.m. sailing from Mukilteo to Clinton.
The suspect, later identified as Michael W. Harsh, 32, of the Everett and Langley areas, boarded the ferry at Clinton, Leary said.
The threat was made as the ferry arrived in Mukilteo and was overheard by several passengers and crew members, who immediately reported it to the State Patrol. Harsh then was detained and a bomb squad was called to the scene, said state ferry system spokeswoman Marta Coursey.
"At approximately 9 a.m. this morning we had a passenger on the Cathlamet, that was docked at Mukilteo, report that he had something in his backpack, and he intended to blow up the vessel, and he has been immediately detained by the Washington State Patrol," Coursey said.
She said the threat was heard by several people in the vicinity before the man dropped his backpack onto the car deck below.
 Michael W. Harsh |
A security sweep of evacuated ferry was conducted by the Washington State Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard, Coursey said.
Leary says the backpack was found to contain only personal items, and no explosives. A security sweep of the vessel also found nothing suspicious.
The suspect was interviewed by the FBI and the Washington State Patrol.
Harsh later was booked into the Snohomish County jail for investigation of making threats to bomb. Bail was set at $25,000.
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