Armed man outside UN headquarters surrenders, police say he is not a terrorist threat

The man who came with a shotgun to the UN headquarters in New York did not have a terrorist motive and arrived from Florida to deliver documents to the United Nations, the NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker said. While speaking at a press conference, Tucker did not reveal the name of the man, however, he said that he did not have a criminal record. Another New York City Police Department official also informed that the man had hundreds of pages of paperwork, including medical documents, which he wanted to deliver to the UN. 

“We're not going to identify the individual at this time, but I will say that he does not have a criminal record or criminal history either here in New York, nor elsewhere around the country... He is originally from Florida,” Tucker said during a news briefing, as quoted by Sputnik. 

“They didn't have any specific meaning related to anything, related to terrorism. But they were medical papers and some other documents,” Tucker added.

Further, Tucker said that police traced the route of the man and determined he checked into a hotel in Manhattan on Wednesday, which was swept by the bomb squad along with a truck connected to the individual. There are “no outstanding threats connected” to any of those items at this time, he added.

Charges against the 64-year-old pending

Separately, NYPD Special Operations Chief Harry Wedin said that as soon as police officers handed the documents over to the UN, the man agreed to put the weapon down following which he was taken into custody. NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller reportedly said that the arrested man is 64 years old and charges against him are pending. 

It is to mention that on Thursday after the armed man was spotted outside the UN headquarters, the building was cordoned off. NYPD officers equipped with tactical gear and long guns were stationed outside the UN headquarters to prevent any unwarranted incident from occurring. Police surrounded the armed man with a bomb squad and bearcat. Several ambulances were also on standby at the scene. 

(Image: AP/Twitter)