Suspicious package is tossed into an NYPD van

TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) -- The New York City Police Department released video of a suspicious device being tossed onto the dashboard of an NYPD van in Times Square Wednesday night.

A man suspected of tossing a hoax bomb through the open window of a police vehicle in Times Square was taken into custody Thursday after an overnight standoff a short drive away in Columbus Circle, the NYPD said.

The episode began when a person in a passing vehicle tossed a cylindrical object into the police van late Wednesday, said Chief of Department James O'Neill. The object turned out to include a candle and a harmless electrical component. A police photo showed those objects displayed beside foil and white cloth.

The two officers in the van at the time are being hailed as heroes for driving the van with the device inside immediately out of the crowded area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.