Police responded to reports of a bomb threat at DNA Lounge at 375 11th St. on Friday afternoon, but after an evacuation and a search of the affected building, found no evidence of a bomb or a suspect reportedly barricaded inside.
At 3:30 p.m., police received a call from a man claiming to be inside and “armed with a gun and a bomb,” but had since lost communication with him, said police spokesman Sgt. Mike Andraychak. As of 6:40 p.m., officers confirmed the threat to be over, and people could be seen exiting nearby buildings.
“We have not reestablished communication [with the man inside],” said Andraychak at 6:10 p.m., adding that officers are “operating under the assumption that the guy is still inside and is still armed with something.”
Andraychak said the threat was of “significant concern,” and dozens of squad cars swarmed the area as helicopters circled overhead. At 6:00 p.m., officers could be seen entering the venue, which had been evacuated along with other businesses in the surrounding area.
Dozens of cops and bomb robot at 11th and Harrison for potential bomb threat @dnalounge#sfpic.twitter.com/Mbg8rlsIR7
— Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) June 4, 2016
A negotiation squad responded to the scene, similar to the one operating at an earlier incident in Chinatown where officers were involved in a standoff with an active shooter, said Andraychak. Paramedics and a bomb retrieval robot were also dispatched as police assessed the threat.
By 6:20 p.m., 15 officers carrying rifles and dressed in black tactical gear could be seen emerging from the venue.
“There is no rush,” said Anraychak shortly before the squad team exited the building. “We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Employees standing outside of the venue near the corner of 11th and Folsom said police did not inform them about the threat, but that they found out through social media.
“We got all of our information from Hoodline and everywhere else,” said Tim Guandolini, a manager at DNA Lounge who was not in building when the threat was reported, but showed up later expecting to clock in for his night shift along with two other employees.
Traffic was rerouted along 11th Street, and bystanders and patrons of local businesses had been told by police to “stay in place.” As of 6:30 p.m., police declared the area clear and began to reopen the streets to traffic.