By Michael Weissenstein, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- The former police officer who said he found a flaming backpack that exploded in a Times Square subway station has been arrested in connection with the incident, police said Saturday.
Detectives arrested Joseph Rodriguez Saturday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital’s Columbia-Presbyterian Center. Rodriguez faces charges of arson, weapons possession and reckless endangerment, police said.
Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association attorney Stuart London has said the officer denies he was responsible for the July 19 subway incident. London did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Saturday.
Rodriguez served four years with the department, and was involved in rescue efforts following the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, officials said.
At some point, the NYPD sought to remove Rodriguez from the force because of unspecified psychological problems. The officer resisted, but agreed to retire after being awarded a disability pension two weeks ago based on a claim his problems stemmed from Sept. 11.
Rodriguez, 27, had worked a final shift at a transit station when the explosion occurred, leaving him with minor injuries, disrupting subway service and drawing a huge response by police on alert for terrorist attacks.
The officer later told police that he saw the blue and black nylon backpack on fire on a mezzanine staircase at 43rd Street and Eighth Avenue, and was warning commuters to stay away and calling for backup when it exploded. At first, investigators believed fireworks caused the blast, but they later found pieces of plastic pipe, traces of black powder and BB’s -- evidence of a pipe bomb.
Investigators soon focused on Rodriguez as a possible suspect based largely on his psychological history, sources have told The Associated Press. He also raised suspicion by wasting several minutes trying to report the bomb to his partner, rather than calling 911, they said.
Rodriguez was briefly hospitalized after the explosion, then taken the next night to a detective bureau, where he refused to answer more questions.