Police arrest man with grenade
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Bomb squad vehicles arrive at Washington's Union Station.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Police arrested a man Monday night who threatened to pull the pin of a grenade at a store in historic Union Station and told authorities he had a duffel bag full of explosives, authorities said.
The device was later wrestled free from the man and the duffel bag recovered.
Federal law enforcement sources told CNN the grenade turned out to be inert and that it appeared the man may be homeless. The contents of the duffel bag were being examined.
The incident began around 8 p.m. when the man entered a shop at Union Station, demanded $20 and "threatened to detonate a grenade," said Amtrak spokesman Dan Stessel.
The clerk refused to hand over any money and contacted authorities. A foot chase ensued involving police officers from Amtrak and U.S. Capitol Police.
"The Capitol Police officer wrestled the suspect to the ground, while the Amtrak police officer secured the grenade. But in that altercation, the pin of the grenade was pulled," Stessel said.
The Amtrak police officer "secured the grenade, holding it closed" for about 15 minutes until a police bomb unit arrived, Stessel said. It was then placed into an explosives ordnance barrel.
No one was injured in the incident.
After being taken into custody, the man told police he had a duffel bag with explosives in it. The bag was still being investigated.
Authorities sealed off a block around Union Station as the bomb squad and dozens of other police personnel secured the area.
The man was in U.S. Capitol Police custody.
