Two cousins with a flair for drama were arrested outside East Harlem's 25th Precinct—one wielding a machete, the other packing a 'possibly viable' explosive device—just before noon on July 24, 2024.

In a bizarre family feud that escalated into a full-blown security scare, the two men, each with an extensive rap sheet, managed to shut down an entire city block and summon the Bomb Squad. While one cousin's machete-wielding antics led to his swift arrest, the other cousin’s emotional unraveling and declaration of a car bomb sent authorities into a frenzy, albeit more of the soap opera variety than a terror alert.

The midday spectacle began when the driver of the car, who chose an interesting way to handle family disputes, approached officers and declared his cousin had attacked him with a machete. Officers quickly located and confiscated the machete, arresting the passenger without much of a swordfight in the process.

As the police were gearing up to handle what they thought was merely a case of vehicular battery with a machete, the driver decided to liven things up by informing officers about an explosive device in the vehicle. This revelation unsurprisingly caused the routine police day to take a more explosive turn.

Enter the NYPD Bomb Squad, summoned to defuse the situation. The device was described as a 'potentially viable improvised explosive device,' a term that left a lot to the imagination but enough for authorities to take it very seriously. As a precautionary measure, the 25th Precinct was evacuated, leading to a scene more akin to a Michael Bay film than a quiet afternoon in East Harlem.

Deputy Chief Jason Huerta of the NYPD’s Counter Terrorism Division addressed the situation, noting that the suspect with the device had 'emotional issues' and was 'rambling on about incoherent ideas and paranoia.' This explanation did little to reassure the public but did suggest that the incident was less about a calculated attack and more about a mental unraveling.

Adding to the colorful background of this story is the fact that both cousins are hardly strangers to law enforcement, with between 10 and 20 priors each. Their criminal history apparently didn’t include any prior bomb scares, making this November's chaotic turn an innovative addition to their repertoire.

Authorities were quick to confirm that the incident does not appear to be motivated by terrorism or political reasons. In the world of high-stakes law enforcement, even the officers seemed relieved that this was merely a case of familial squabble rather than something more sinister.

As the bomb squad wrapped up their work and the precinct awaited the all-clear to resume normal activities, one couldn’t help but wonder what the following family reunion will look like for these two cousins. Perhaps a quieter affair, say over a nice game of chess, minus any bladed weapons or improvised explosives.