Dow Jones Newswire
December 30, 2009

A New York Police Department spokesman said it was too early in the investigation to comment on the nature of a suspicious van in Times Square on Wednesday, but police had evacuated some nearby buildings as a precaution.

The Nasdaq Stock Exchange’s MarketSite was among the sites evacuated, though Fox Business Network has now reported the evacuations are over and the area is being reopened. Nasdaq’s MarketSite is the exchange’s face in Times Square, where it hosts corporate meetings, product launches, press conferences and special events.

“The bomb squad is barring pedestrians and is approaching the vehicle with a robot,” Sgt. Carlos Nieves had told Dow Jones Newswires. “The camera will help technicians assess what it is in the van.”

Fox showed that the rear doors of the van were opened by police and officers have moved in to inspect it. The news channel has also reported the FBI has been brought onto the scene.

Although some reports said the van had been there for possibly as long as two days, Nieves couldn’t comment on how long the van had been parked there. He did confirm there was a “placard” on the van that wasn’t known to police in either New York or New Jersey.

Nieves said that ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square the NYPD was already on the lookout for vehicle bombs and is sweeping garages and other locations.

But, Nieves added, at this time “there is no known threat.”

The Emergency Election Sale is now live! Get 30% to 60% off our most popular products today!