'Ticking' item briefly closes major downtown Minneapolis intersection

A "ticking" item briefly shut down a well-traveled downtown intersection at the height of the morning commute Tuesday.

Traffic, including Metro Transit buses, was kept away from Hennepin Avenue S. and 7th Street as the police bomb squad responded, said Sgt. Catherine Michal.

Authorities determined the item was not a threat and reopened the intersection after about 30 minutes.

The disruption began when a passerby "heard this ticking sound" coming from a garbage can, Michal said.

A Metro Transit police officer was notified, setting off concerns about a potential explosive, the sergeant said.

Everyone exhaled with relief when the bomb squad identified the item as an anti-theft device for a bicycle, Michal said. The cable on the device had been cut, and that triggered the suspicious sound, she said.