Cyclist charged in suspicious package incident

On a rainy Monday two weeks ago, someone found a suspicious package at Plankinton and Wisconsin avenues and called police. The FBI and MPD took the threat seriously, and so did a local cyclist, Matthew Hughes.

Hughes crossed the caution tape and emptied the package onto the street. TV stations caught it on video. Hughes was charged Monday with disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer. His goal? To be a hero.

Hughes had seen news of the suspicious package while at his home near North 30th and West Wells streets. He jumped on his bike and was downtown in minutes. By the time Hughes arrived, officers had taken X-rays of the bag and were reviewing the results. Hughes ignored officers’ commands to stop at the intersection. Once he emptied the bag, he was tackled by three officers.

According to the criminal complaint, Hughes said, “Well, it’s my city, I’m taking one for the team. I’m not letting, like the Boston thing ... blow up another 9year-old girl. So I’m going to jump on top of the grenade, and look in there and make sure there isn’t one.”

Hughes, who was cited in 2017 for riding his bicycle on an expressway, told officers he had Coast Guard training and wanted to take the package and jump into the river.

The complaint said that once Hughes saw the bag, “he thought ‘there’s no way there’s a bomb in here.’ ”

He was not wrong about that. He’s scheduled to go before a judge June 19.