|
The
incident occurred two days after a massive fire severely damaged
the eight-century-old Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, causing
global shock and sorrow. The blaze was most likely the result of
an accident though a major investigation is under way.
In New York, the man entered the Roman Catholic cathedral in
midtown Manhattan just before 8 p.m. (0000 GMT) and was
confronted by a security guard, according to a New York City
Police Department (NYPD) official.
As the man turned to leave, gasoline spilled onto the floor and
the guard alerted police officers stationed outside.
Officers caught up with the man and he was taken into custody
after questioning, said John Miller, deputy commissioner of
intelligence and counterterrorism for the NYPD.
"An individual walking into an iconic location like St.
Patrick's Cathedral carrying over four gallons of gasoline, two
bottles of lighter fluid and lighters, is something we would
have grave concern over," Miller told reporters.
Asked if terrorism was a possible motive in the incident, Miller
said it was "too early to say that". But, alluding to worldwide
publicity about the Notre Dame fire, he added: "This is an
indicator of something that would be very suspicious."
Three predominantly African-American churches in Louisiana
burned down between March 26 and April 4. A man was arrested and
charged with arson and hate crimes.
The man told police he was taking a short cut through the
cathedral to get to Madison Avenue from 5th Avenue to return to
his van which had run out of gasoline, Miller said.
When police checked the vehicle they found it was not out of
fuel, at which point the man was arrested, he said. "He is known
to police and we are looking into his background. We don't know
what his mindset was, what his motive was."
The man, who police declined to identify because he has not been
charged, was still in custody early Thursday.
The New York Daily News and other publications, citing unnamed
police sources, identified the man as a philosophy professor and
a New Jersey resident.
A police spokesman said detectives would discuss the case with
the Manhattan district attorney's office on Thursday morning to
decide on possible charges.
St. Patrick's, a neo-gothic church across from the Rockefeller
Center, has stood in the heart of Manhattan since 1879 and is
considered one of the most important symbols of the Catholic
Church in the United States.
(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico, Steve Gorman in Los
Angeles and Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
