Bomb Threat in Hoboken: Man Threatens to Kill Police and Himself

A series of bomb threats to the Hoboken police sent numerous public safety agencies scrambling and prompted the closing of several roads in the southern part of the city on Saturday night.

According to a statement from city officials, an unknown male called Hoboken Police Headquarters around 7:30 p.m., threatening to blow up the Neumann Leathers building at 66 Willow Ave.

Police evacuated and searched the building – which contains a large factory and is home to over 45 artist and music studios – but didn’t find a bomb.

Soon afterwards, the man called police headquarters again and thanked officers for evacuating the building. He then stated that he had additional bombs and weapons, and threatened to kill police and himself.

The man continued to place multiple calls to police to make threats and demands. In response, emergency workers made three subsequent searches, including a round with bomb-sniffing dogs from New Jersey Transit Police, Jersey City Police and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department, but found nothing each time.

Authorities declared the area safe around 2:30 a.m.

During the incident, police closed several roads in the southern portion of the city, including the Observer Highway, Willow Avenue and Newark Street, in addition to placing a “frozen zone” around the building.

The Hoboken Detective Bureau, along with the Hudson County Prosecutors Office and liaisons to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are continuing the investigation.

Other agencies on the scene included the Port Authority Emergency Services Unit, Hoboken Fire Department and Hoboken Volunteer Ambulance Corps.

Police officers from the Stevens Institute of Technology, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office and the Union City Police Department provided patrol duties in Hoboken for eight hours during the bomb threat.

“I want to thank all the public safety officers who responded to the bomb threat in Hoboken last night,” stated Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer in a release. “The officers went above and beyond the call of duty to swiftly respond to the situation and ensure the safety of all residents.”

Photo caption: The Neumann Leathers building on Willow Ave. in Hoboken was the site of a bomb threat on Saturday night.