On October 9, Santa Monica Pier was the scene of a crisis. A man scaled the Ferris wheel in Pacific Park, claiming to have a bomb. Responding to the situation, law enforcement and the local emergency management teams mobilized to maintain calm amidst the chaos.
37-year-old Juan Gonzalez from Garden Grove was the man behind the potential threat. According to officers from the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD), he was discovered near the top of the Ferris wheel, a move that resulted in around ten riders being trapped.
Many departments and agencies quickly responded to assist in managing the incident. Santa Monica's Office of Emergency Management outlined a plan in response to the situation, with the Fire Department to evacuate the trapped riders. While negotiating with Gonzalez to carefully deescalate the situation became the responsibility of SMPD's Crisis Negotiation Team.
More than an hour passed before Gonzalez was taken into custody. Subsequent investigations found no explosives or weapons were present. Accordingly, charges for felony criminal threats, felony resisting arrest, false imprisonment, and making a false bomb report were filed against him yesterday by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
