A 62-year-old Corvallis resident was arrested Tuesday in connection with a suspected bomb threat at the post office on Willamette Street and West 5th Avenue.
The suspect, identified by Eugene Police Department as Patrick Florian Smoly, reportedly threatened to detonate his white van. Eugene Police SWAT did not find explosives, and the Eugene Crisis Negotiation Team was able to coerce Smoly out of his vehicle. Police evacuated nearby businesses including the Eugene Hilton after receiving and responding to the report of a suspicious vehicle at 11:06 a.m.
Smoly will most likely be charged with disorderly conduct by the state; however, federal charges from the U.S. Attorney’s Office are still pending.
Because the vehicle was located in front of a U.S. postal office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating alongside the FBI.
“It would probably come by criminal complaint,” FBI spokesperson Beth Anne Steele said on Tuesday. “That’s what they’ll look at if there is a violation of federal law.”
Dennis Fernald, U.S. Postal Investigation Service spokesperson, said his organization will have more information about charges soon.
“We’re all working collectively on this,” he said.
Besides evacuating local businesses, Eugene police also diverted car and pedestrian traffic on Willamette from West 5th Avenue to West 7th Avenue and from Pearl Street to Charnelton Street. The incident also delayed Amtrak trains because of the location of Amtrak’s Eugene station to the vicinity of the incident, causing many headaches for passengers.
“It’s just kind of ridiculous,” said Brandy Lee, a Portland resident waiting for her train.
Locals also found the evacuations time-consuming.
“If the bomb blows and things are all over the place, then it’s a good thing that you’re out of the way,” Xerox worker Frank Cline said. “But if it doesn’t, it feels like it’s a waste of time.”
Cline was working on a machine at Central Print & Reprographic when police evacuated the business.
“The only reason it’s a waste of time is because I have customers to get to,” Cline said.
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