Man Arrested in Bomb Threat That Led to Airport Evacuation

People gather by a police line at San Francisco International Airport after a reported bomb threat forced an evacuation of the International Terminal in San Francisco, Calif., on July 15, 2022. Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

SAN FRANCISCO—An Oakland man was arrested for allegedly reporting a false bomb threat over the weekend, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of people from the San Francisco International Airport’s international terminal, police said Monday.

Terry Addison, 53, was charged with reporting a false bomb threat and malicious report of a false bomb threat, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement.

Addison was booked into jail in San Mateo County, where the airport is located. It was not immediately known if Addison has an attorney who can speak on his behalf. San Mateo County prosecutors did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

People wait outside the International Arrival terminal at San Francisco International Airport after a reported bomb threat forced an evacuation in San Francisco, Calif., on July 15, 2022. Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP

The bomb threat was reported Friday night, and authorities discovered a suspicious package, authorities said. Investigators at the airport “deemed the item possibly incendiary.”

Police said Friday that a man had been taken into custody, but released no other information.

The airport’s AirTrain and the Bay Area Rapid Transit trains were also suspended. Passenger drop-offs and pick-ups were limited to the airport’s domestic terminals.

Police said they removed “several suspicious packages” from the international terminal and that it was safe and clear to enter just after midnight Saturday.