Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995 TAG: 9504210106
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JAN VERTEFEUILLE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Police detonated a transient's suitcase on a downtown Roanoke street Wednesday night because of "miscommunication," not because he made a threat against the Poff building.
There was no bomb threat, said David Burch, who oversees FBI operations for Western Virginia. Federal and city law enforcement officials blamed the mix-up on miscommunication between the FBI and police.
David C. Noah, a 46-year-old drifter, called the FBI office in Roanoke on Wednesday to offer information about the Oklahoma bombing, one of many calls the office has been receiving from the public. Noah gave his name and said he was a fugitive from justice, which prompted the FBI to pass the information on to city police.
Somehow, the message was twisted and police came to believe that Noah had threatened the Poff building. Police found him at the bus station and arrested him.
"Our office acted on inaccurate information," Roanoke police Lt. W.J. Beason said. "But it's better to `err on the side of caution.'''
When police X-rayed Noah's luggage, several items couldn't be identified, and the bomb squad was called in, said state police Special Agent Gus Necessary. The items turned out to include steak knives and a hunting knife.
Necessary said state police policy is to detonate a suspicious package "if you cannot see into a box ... and you believe there could be something in there that could injure you dearly. We strictly adhere to [that policy]. You're not allowed many mistakes."
Police electronically detonated one suitcase. Noah's clothes, Necessary said, are still "usable." His suitcase is not.
Noah was being held in the Roanoke City Jail as a fugitive from justice and was in court Thursday morning, when a public defender was appointed to represent him. He is wanted in Florida for violating parole in a petty larceny case.
Burch said some of Noah's information about the Oklahoma bombing seemed valuable, but some seemed off-target. He declined to say specifically what Noah told agents. But information from the public is being passed on to investigators in Oklahoma, who are better able to determine whether or not it is relevant, Burch said.
Meanwhile, U.S. Marshal Larry Mattox spent the morning fielding calls from workers wanting to know why the building wasn't evacuated Wednesday afternoon. Mattox, whose office oversees court security in the building, said marshals have been instructed by Washington to "increase our vigilance." That means watching cars in the parking lot more closely and asking everyone to have heightened awareness.
The General Services Administration, which oversees security for the building, held a meeting Thursday morning for agencies housed there.
Security measures discussed include the possibility of hiring another guard for the building, asking employees to be aware of anything unusual and making sure doors are closed and locked. For now, though, guards are maintaining normal schedules, said GSA employee Joanne Moore.
But that may not allay all the fears.
"Judging from the parking lot," Moore said, "a lot of people didn't come to work."
by CNB