$250,000 bail set in Nicollet Mall bomb threat

Article by: Star Tribune
Updated: August 13, 2012 - 11:09 PM

Man is charged with terroristic threats and kidnapping in scare that prompted evacuation in downtown Minneapolis.

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Police were on the scene of a stand off in the M&I bank on 6th and Nicollet Ave. Nicollet Ave was shut down for about 1 1/2 hours.

Photo: Richard Sennott, Star Tribune

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A 33-year-old man was charged Monday with entering a downtown Minneapolis bank and bluffing that he had a bomb, setting off Friday's lunchtime evacuation of a building along Nicollet Mall.

Philip J. Pariso, of Inver Grove Heights, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with two counts of terroristic threats and two counts of kidnapping.

He remains jailed in lieu of $250,000 bail ahead of a court hearing Tuesday.

On Friday, Pariso came to the studios of WCCO-TV, Channel 4, at 90 S. 11th St. and was turned away after asking to speak with a reporter.

Soon afterward, the station reported, a man believed to be the same person called WCCO and repeated his request to speak with a reporter. He added that if his story wasn't heard, the station would hear about it, WCCO said.

Police say that Pariso entered the M&I Bank near 6th Street and Nicollet Mall and said he had either a bomb, a gun or both. He told two employees not to leave and asked one of them to call WCCO and the police. His alleged threat prompted the evacuation of Gaviidae Common and the closing of several streets.

Traffic on Nicollet and Hennepin was blocked for a while, and Gaviidae's evacuation lasted about an hour before Pariso was apprehended without incident.

Pariso had a book bag with him, but no bomb or gun, police said.

PAUL WALSH