BETHESDA BOMB SQUAD ROBOTS IN ACTION ON WOODMONT AVENUE (VIDEO)

Here is video of two Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services bomb unit robots during last night's police investigation of an apparent bomb scare in a Bethesda parking lot. As of early this morning, Montgomery County Police and MCFRS have not yet given many specific details on the incident, which took place at Public Parking Lot 43 on Woodmont Avenue. The investigation required a block of Woodmont to close between Cordell and St. Elmo Avenues. Police reopened the road after 11:00 PM, but police and fire public information Twitter accounts were silent on the matter Tuesday night.

Despite the large police presence and road closure, relatively few downtown seemed overly concerned. Patrons at Sapphire Cafe, directly adjacent to the investigation, continued their fantasy football drafts.

UPDATE: POLICE CLOSE DOWN PART OF WOODMONT AVE. IN BETHESDA, BOMB SQUAD ON SCENE (VIDEO+PHOTOS)

UPDATE: 11:40 PM

Woodmont Avenue has reopened in Bethesda between Cordell and St. Elmo Avenues, after being shut down by police for several hours in an apparent bomb squad investigation. The area of interest appeared to be the adjacent Public Parking Lot 43 on Woodmont. Specific details of what police were looking for, and why, have not yet been released to the public. See below for video of the bomb squad robot in the 11:13 PM update.

UPDATE: 11:13 PM

Police are wrapping up the scene of an apparent bomb squad investigation, and reopening Woodmont Avenue. There have still been no specific details released to the public about this incident.

Here is a brief video of the bomb squad robot in action:

Montgomery County bomb
squad robot exits truck in
front of Bruce Variety
on Woodmont Avenue in
downtown Bethesda

UPDATE: 9:38 PM

Here are a couple of photos of the bomb squad robot - coming out of the truck, and getting some human assistance:

UPDATE: 9:25 PM

A bomb squad robot has been sent into the parking lot. That is the same lot where a witness said he was told by police he could not enter to retrieve his car. Still no public statement from police on what this is all about.


UPDATE: 9:15 PM

There is still no official word from Montgomery County Police regarding the closure of Woodmont Avenue between Cordell and St. Elmo Avenues in Bethesda this evening. However, I have identified a Montgomery County bomb squad vehicle on-scene. Parking Lot 43 is closed, and a man said police told him he was not allowed to enter the lot to retrieve his car, due to an "incident."

The Bethesda Circulator is being rerouted around the scene.

Original story:

Montgomery County Police have shut down Woodmont Avenue in the vicinity of Public Parking Lot 43, at 8009 Woodmont Avenue. Officers declined to comment on the reason, and would provide no details or information. Fire equipment is on-scene, as well.