SMPD Evacuates Santa Monica Pier on 9/11 Due to Telephoned "Bomb Scare"

Update 7:15 pm PST: authorities announce that the Santa Monica pier is now open again to the public. They now term this event a "bomb scare" rather than a bomb threat. It is curious that the Hawthorne and Culver City police received the threat, rather than the Santa Monica PD.

Update 6:40 pm PST: The LA County Sheriff's Dept determined that the "suspicious vehicle" on the Pier did not, in fact, present a threat. However, the Pier remains closed, and authorities are continuing to search it.

Update 5:20 pm PST: After the Culver City and Hawthorne police received a bomb threat, the SMPD brought in dogs to sweep the pier said Lt. Saul Rodriguez. "A vehicle was located in the South end of the deck of the pier that was suspicious in nature," he said.

The suspicious nature of the vehicle caused the SMPD to evacuate the entire pier. The FBI, LA County Sheriff, and other authorities assisted with the evacuation.

"We ask for patience while we determine what is in that vehicle," said Rodriguez, adding that any up to date notifications would be posted on the City's website or twitter feed.

The Santa Monica Police have closed the Santa Monica pier and adjoining parking lots, after a bomb threat came in around 1 pm. A few hours later, a bomb detection robot was seen in the parking lot North of the pier, rolling from car to car.

People who are on the 100 year old structure report that "police are everywhere, evacuating everyone." The Pier is the central tourist attraction for Santa Monica. The Pier Arch has become a sign of the City. It would be an obvious target for a 9/11 terrorist, though no one at the police department or the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept, is commenting at this time.

"ProCon," an event that was to take place tonight on the Pier, has been cancelled.

The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California. With an iconic entrance, the pier is popular with residents and visitors as a landmark, says Wikipedia.

The pier contains Pacific Park, a family amusement park with its one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art, solar paneled Ferris wheel. It also has an original carousel hippodrome from the 1920s, the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium operated by Heal the Bay, shops, entertainers, a video arcade, a trapeze school, pubs, and restaurants. The pier's west end is a popular location for anglers.

During the summer months the pier is venue to weekly outdoor concerts, movies, and other family friendly activities, many that are free to the public.