Two NYPD cops selflessly moved what they thought was an explosive device away from thousands of people in Times Square. After a device was tossed into the marked police van the officers were sitting in at West 46 Street and Seventh Avenue they knew they had to protect New York City.
Sergeant Hameed Armani is a 10-year veteran of the NYPD. He came to the U.S. from Afghanistan. When asked why he and Police Officer Peter Cybulski drove away instead of fleeing the police van the sergeant responded,
“I looked around and saw people, including many kids, all around us. There was no way we were leaving the van.”
Police Officer Peter Cybulski, who has three years on the force, agreed and said there was no way they were leaving the van in the middle of Times Square. He said,
“I took this job for a reason- to protect and serve. That was what we were going to do.”
As they drove off to a secluded area, they each said a prayer. Sergeant Hameed, a Muslim, and Officer Cybulski, a Catholic, each recited prayers of their faiths as they pulled over on West 46th Street and requested the NYPD Bomb Squad to respond. Fortunately, after investigating the device, the Bomb Squad deemed it to be a hoax.
Later that evening the subject and the vehicle were found in Columbus Circle. When confronted by other police officers, the subject stated he was in possession of explosives and there were explosives in the vehicle. After a nearly six-hour standoff that required the response of numerous units including Patrol, Emergency Service Unit (ESU), Bomb Squad, K9, and the Hostage Negotiation Team, ESU officers were able to successfully end the situation and take the man into custody.
