'Suspicious device' found in vehicle in Manhattan tied to NYC protest investigation

NEW YORK - The NYPD found a "suspicious device" in a vehicle in Manhattan on Sunday, March 8, that officials said is connected to their investigation into improvised explosive devices thrown into the crowd at protests outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday.

‘Suspicious device’ found

Why you should care:

The NYPD announced the discovery around 4:30 p.m. Sunday. 

"The NYPD has identified a suspicious device in a vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st Street and 82nd Street," a post on X read. 

RELATED: Improvised explosive device thrown into crowd during Gracie Mansion protests: NYPD

Officials briefly evacuated buildings near the area, but announced just before 7 p.m. that they had safely removed the device and had taken it for testing. Those who were evacuated were allowed back into their homes.

Bomb Squad investigation

What we know:

The Bomb Squad began investigating the vehicle around 2 p.m. Video from the scene showed a Bomb Squad robot approaching a black sedan. 

While the reason for the investigation wasn't immediately clear on Sunday, the NYPD later confirmed that it was tied to the investigation into the improvised explosive devices thrown into the crowd during Saturday's dueling protests outside Gracie Mansion, the mayor's official residence. The vehicle with the suspicious device was about six blocks away from the mansion.

Gracie Mansion protests

The backstory:

Two protests broke out outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday. The initial protest, according to the NYPD, was an anti-Islamic demonstration organized by a "far-right provocateur," NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. A larger group of counter-protesters also gathered in the area, and tensions rose between the two groups.

During the protests, NYPD officials said that an 18-year-old man, whom they identified as Emir Balat, threw an improvised explosive device into the crowd. Police said the device was a jar wrapped in tape, filled with nuts, bolts, screws and a fuse. The device never detonated.

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According to officials, Balat ran from the area, then got another similar device from a man they identified as 19-year-old Ibrahim Kayumi, and tried to run back toward the crowd with it. Balat allegedly dropped the device, and NYPD officers arrested both men.

Four other people were arrested at Saturday's protests, including one protester who allegedly sprayed counter-protesters with pepper spray, and three others accused of disorderly conduct and obstructing traffic.