Wild scene at the famous Santa Monica Pier … a man claiming to be armed with a bomb climbed the iconic Ferris wheel before ultimately being taken into custody.
The crazy scene played out Monday afternoon at the tourist attraction … with cops saying it all started when the guy told folks he had a bomb on him, and then started climbing the carnival ride.
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The Santa Monica Police Department says as the man scaled the Ferris wheel, he was shouting at officers down on the pier … but they couldn’t make out what he was saying as he hung out in the middle of the spoke.
Shocked onlookers watched in horror as a standoff ensued, and it didn’t take long for helicopters to start swirling overhead.
The Ferris wheel stopped and folks who were on the ride became stuck … and they had to be rescued by a Santa Monica Fire Department cherry picker truck.
About an hour into the affair, the guy started climbing down from his perch on the 85-foot tall ride … appearing to communicate with law enforcement.
Ultimately, the guy was arrested … and cops say they did not find any bombs.