PICTURED: Fake bomb with a Black Lives Matter sign attached to it found on the back of a Tesla in NYC and the husky rescued from inside the vehicle after hoax forced mall to be evacuated
The NYPD has released a photo of the 'hoax device' that prompted the evacuation of a mall in New York City.
The Queens Place Mall was evacuated Monday morning after authorities received a call about the suspicious vehicle around 8.30am.
Video and photos showed a large presence of emergency personnel at 56th Avenue and Queens Blvd.
The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau's bomb squad investigated the vehicle, a Tesla, and just before 10.30am and gave the 'all clear' after discovering a 'hoax device'.
Officers shared a photo of the device later on Monday, as well as a husky that was rescued from the vehicle.
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Police shared a picture of the hoax device that was found on a vehicle in Queens
New York City investigators have given the 'all clear' after reports of a 'Tesla containing propane tanks' near a shopping mall prompted the evacuation of the area
The Queens Place Mall was evacuated Monday morning after authorities received a call about the suspicious vehicle parked along Queens Boulevard around 8.30am. Images show a large police presence and several police cars at the scene as authorities continue their investigation
The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau's bomb squad investigated the vehicle and just before 10.30am gave the 'all clear'
Authorities also shared an image of a husky that was rescued from the vehicle
'The suspicious package in the @NYPD110Pct has been deemed a hoax device,' the NYPD News account tweeted.
The account also shared an image of a husky that was rescued from the vehicle.
'Immediately upon responding to the initial scene, officers from @NYPDCT and @NYPDSpecialops rescued this husky that was trapped inside the vehicle,' the account added, sharing an image of the dog drinking water.
According to NBC, the black Tesla, which had stolen Nevada license plates, prompted bystanders to call 911 after seeing a small can attached to the back of it.
There was also a Black Lives Matter sign attached to the can, the network reported. Authorities are still looking for the driver.
Initial reports indicated the can could have contained explosives and was wired up to a propane tank and battery in the parking garage of the mall. Another report stated that the vehicle entered the garage around 2am.
Officials are still urging New Yorkers to use alternative routes due to road closures and continue to direct foot traffic away from the scene.
A spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed the ongoing investigation at the Queens Place Mall, but said no other information about the incident is immediately available.
Officials are still urging New Yorkers to use alternative routes due to road closures and continue to direct foot traffic away from the scene
Police officers investigate the incident at the Queens Place Mall on Monday
The incident comes just two weeks after an RV exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day, and amid an uptick in crime in New York City.
In Nashville, suspect Anthony Q. Warner, 63, died by suicide in the explosion when he detonated the bomb while inside the RV.
The bombing took place in the early morning when there was little activity in the city, and an automated message emanating from the vehicle warning of a bomb allowed the police to evacuate people.
More than 40 businesses were damaged in the explosion and at least eight people were injured. Warner is the only known death.
Meanwhile, New York City has seen an uptick in crime.
According to statistics released on Friday, New York City saw a 97 per cent jump in shootings and a 45 per cent increase in murders.
That marks the largest increase since 2011. The number of people shot has more than doubled 2019's total, nearing a 14-year high.
The NYPD reported 462 murders across the city for 2020. That's a 143 difference from 2019.
Shootings were also up with 1,531 incidents involving firearms in New York City. That's 754 more than in 2019, officials said.