"Damn! They never thought he had a bomb!"

[Old Crow]

68. Interersting thoughts.

You might be right about D; it's a complicated situation, and I'm mulling it over. Nothing I've said addresses the use of the word "hoax," which is part of the story, so your theory has some merit.

In terms of an evacuation, I'm speculating, but I think that was a next course of action that they never got to, but would have, if the questioning of Ahmed Mohamed had gone like this:

Police (looking at a metal case containing circuit boards and wires): You say this is just a clock?
AM: Yes. It's just a clock.
Police (not believing him): Is this the only one you've made?
AM: No, there's another one.
Police: Where?
AM: I'm not telling, but you'll find out.

Of course my dialogue above is fiction. It didn't happen. Do I think that's a scenario the police thought might play out? Yes. Do I think that's the scenario some of them had in mind, especially since they were interviewing a Muslim and harboring anti-Muslim prejudice? Yes. And had it played out as above, I think the building would have been evacuated in short order.