News : Man Arrested at Doja Cat Concert After Making False Bomb Threat to Get Ahead in Line

Mitchell Peters January 15, 2022

A man was arrested after making a bomb threat in an effort to jump ahead in line at a free Doja Cat concert in Indianapolis on Saturday (Jan. 8).

Just before gates opened around 5 p.m., police briefly cleared a crowd in line near downtown Indianapolis’ Monument Circle, where fans were gathered for a free outdoor concert featuring the rapper/singer and indie pop trio AJR ahead of the College Football Playoff national championship on Monday.

“A fan wanted to advance in line so he exercised very poor judgment and told those around him in line he had a bomb in his backpack,” Joshua Barker, deputy chief for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), told the Indianapolis Star. “Someone did the right thing and alerted IMPD. The backpack was clean.”

The IMPD also issued a statement on Twitter following the incident.

“Nearby witnesses told police the individual said he had an explosive on him,” the department wrote. “IMPD officers responded, searched his bag and did not find an explosive. The man had unrelated outstanding warrants and was immediately arrested for those.”

Police did not reveal the identify of the man in custody. The investigation is still ongoing, according to the IMPD.

Entry into the first-come, first-served concert was delayed for about 20 minutes, but the event continued as scheduled. Neither Doja Cat nor AJR had not commented about the incident as of press time.