Van Theft Suspect Makes Explosives Threat In Berkeley Thursday

BERKELEY, CA — A stolen van suspect forced authorities to evacuate several buildings in downtown Berkeley on Thursday morning because he told officers that he had a "digital weapon" inside the van that was potentially explosive, police said.

Officers responded to the downtown area at 9:50 a.m. on Thursday to investigate a report of stolen vehicle and when they arrived they spotted the vehicle leaving westbound from the area, according to police.

Officers stopped the van and arrested the driver at a gas station parking lot at the corner of University Avenue and Bonar Street but then the man warned them that he had a potentially explosive weapon inside the van, police said.

Authorities temporarily evacuated nearby buildings as a precautionary measure while Berkeley police bomb technicians checked the van, but by 11:11 a.m. on Thursday officers determined that the van was empty and there was no threat to the public, according to police.

The suspect, 27-year-old Joseph Edward Coleman of Berkeley, was arrested on suspicion of taking a vehicle without the owner's permission and possession of stolen property, police said.

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— Bay City News; Image via Shutterstock