San Diego arena bomb scare delays NCAAs

Mar 20, 2006 3:30 PM

           

When it is said there is a "scare" in the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, it usually means an underdog is threatening to upset a heavily favored team.
When the scare happened at San Diego State's Cox Arena before the first scheduled game of the tournament there, it was a lot more frightening.
In a routine security sweep of the arena, trained security dogs fixated on a metal food cart in an upper concourse, leading officials to believe there could be an explosive or a hazardous material in the building.
The arena was immediately evacuated, and before long numerous law enforcement agencies were involved in an investigation. Ultimately, officials concluded there was no safety hazard, and the building was reopened.
Once the dogs detected something, Lt. Robert McManus of the San Diego State Police, the incident commander at the arena, said it set off a chain of security-related events.
"That activated other protocols including bringing out representatives from the local bomb squad, from the city fire department and from the Metro Arson Strike Team," he told The Illinois Herald and Review.
Jan Caldwell of the FBI, who also was on the scene, said a bomb robot was used to inspect the cart.
"We're not sure what the dogs may have activated on and that's under investigation," said McManus, who added that the cart had been removed from the building for further inspection.
Outside the arena, a strange scene developed as fans, media, tournament officials, curious on-lookers and many law enforcement and security personnel waited to enter the arena.
Adding to the anxiety was an announcement last Friday by Homeland Security regarding a "general threat" of terrorism at an NCAA tournament site.
About an hour and 45 minutes after the evacuation began, crowds were allowed to re-enter Cox Arena.
"People were very, very cooperative and patient outside," said Dr. Chris Hill, the director of athletics at the University of Utah, who was the NCAA Tournament Committee member assigned to the venue.

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