UC Berkeley police investigate report of armed bike thief
Police do not believe there is any danger to the community, a campus spokesman said just before 10 p.m.
Update, 9:50 p.m. A report of an armed bike thief at UC Berkeley prompted Wednesday night's safety alert to the campus community, authorities report.
Police investigated the report and do not believe there is an ongoing threat to the community, a campus spokesman told The Scanner.
The initial report to UC Berkeley police came from an individual who returned to his locked bike to see someone sawing through the lock in an effort to take it.
The would-be thief claimed he was armed, which the victim quickly reported to police, officials said.
When UC Berkeley officers got to the scene, the culprit was gone. But police reviewed security footage and determined that he did not appear to have been armed.
The investigation is ongoing.
Original story: Police at UC Berkeley have advised the public to avoid Evans Hall and Moffitt Library "until further notice."
Police sent out a safety alert just before 9:10 p.m. via UC Berkeley's new safety app saying only that "Police are responding to the scene."
The message was marked critical but contained no information about the incident itself.
In recent weeks, UC Berkeley police joined the rest of Alameda and Contra Costa counties in encrypting their emergency radio traffic, so no other information was immediately available.
The Scanner has asked UCPD and campus officials for information and will update this story if any additional details are provided.
