Bomb Scare Shuts Down Ave. H Station During Morning Rush

 
By Amy Sara Clark and Caitlin Nolan

10:02 a.m.: Trains are now running and fully functional at the Avenue H subway stop of the B/Q line in Ditmas Park. 
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 9:50 a.m.: The Avenue H subway stop of B/Q line in Ditmas Park has been deemed safe, but was still closed as of 9:50 a.m. Under the subway-map wrapping was just a grey zippered nylon binder.
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9:24 a.m.: The Avenue H subway stop of the B/Q line in Ditmas Park has been closed after a package was found near the station during the Tuesday morning rush hour, police told Patch. 

At 8:30 a.m., a briefcase wrapped in a subway map was found on top of a newspaper kiosk outside of the station, an MTA employee told Patch. 
Both sides of the Avenue H station have been closed and the street near the station has been blocked off. The NYPD bomb squad arrived by 9:38 a.m., putting on special gear to approach the scene. 

Three firetrucks, emergency service vehicles and an ambulance were also on the scene, with a helicopter hovering overhead.  A commuter told Patch he was turned away at the Newkirk Avenue station, with an MTA employee advising to take a bus instead.  

As the bomb squad did its work, about two dozen residents of nearby buildings stood outside. Some wanted to see what was going on, others were waiting to be allowed to go on with their day. People living on the dead end at E. 17th St. were asked to wait until the package was deemed safe before being allowed to leave the block.

After it was determined that the suspicious package was just a grey zippered binder, a woman outside the laundromat said she didn't mind the hoopla, "After what happened in Bosten everyone is on edge.. I'd rather that everyone is safe."