Man Claims to be God, Rams Truck Into TV Station

A man claiming to be God intentionally crashed a truck into a Maryland TV station Tuesday morning. Police report that the man could have been armed, but no shots were fired during this incident.

Witnesses reported that the man initially banged on the door of the WMAR- TV station and demanded to be let in. Station employees told CBS Television that after his request was denied, “he crashed a large commercial truck into the ABC affiliate’s lobby at 11:45 am.”

Brian Kuebler, a reporter at the TV station, tweeted that the suspect rammed the station three times with a landscaping truck “screaming ‘LET ME IN!’ and said he was God. I never even saw him. I just saw the truck. That’s when it started to get pretty real. This guy was intent on getting into the building. It was pretty frightening.”

The suspect used a truck stolen from Ashton Manor Environmental to ram the station.

Evacuation measures began while the unidentified man was ramming down the TV station’s entrance. A spokeswoman with the Baltimore County Police Department reported that officers evacuated roughly 55 people from the building.

The EW Scripps Co., which owns the TV station, disclosed that they employ 120 employees, but only half were present at the station. An EW Scripps spokesperson reported to Reuters that “Somehow we were able to get everyone out safely, while he was ramming in the front.”

News Director Kelly Groft told the Associated Press, “The station believed everyone inside evacuated safely.” The WMAR- TV building was left with a hole the size of several garage doors and a partially collapsed lobby.

The nearby St. Puix X School was put on lockdown, but all of the students and teachers were safe.

After getting himself inside, the man barricaded himself inside the TV station but was not found after police stormed the building.

A Police spokesperson initially reported that they had no idea about the identity or motive of the perpetrator, but a suspect was taken in a few hours later.

The suspect was not injured but was reported to be “suffering from emotional or mental health issues” and is currently receiving treatment.

After WMAR TV station employees evacuated the building, they continued their work in the parking lot. Keubler concludes that “It’s a little weird. I’ve never been the story in my career.”

[Images via Reuters/Jose Magana]