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Gun Scare Adds Drama to Obama Visit

Adam Martin 695 Views May 5, 2011

Police in New York today tackled and questioned a man who has been described as both an "odd bicyclist" and a potential gunman when he acted strangely as President Barack Obama's motorcade passed by. A New York Daily News photographer happened to be standing next to the dramatic scene (as did an Associated Press shooter, apparently), and said the man had been walking his bicycle through the dense crowd, shouting ""Secret Service! Coming through!"

A few minutes later, police officers jumped over a set of barricades near the intersection of Church and Vessey streets in Lower Manhattan, yelling "It's him! It's the guy with the Cubs hat!", the News reports. But though witnesses had reportedly seen him fumbling with a gun in his backpack, they didn't find any weapons. "No guns!" they yelled. Then they pulled him into a nearby post office and questioned him before releasing him. Remember: Don't crack jokes about the Secret Service when they're standing right near you. They don't think it's funny.

Photo by the Associated Press

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