Bomb Threat at Santa Monica Pier, Man Arrested After Climbing Ferris

Wild scene at the famous Santa Monica Pier ... a man claiming to be armed with a bomb climbed the iconic Ferris wheel before ultimately being taken into custody.

The crazy scene played out Monday afternoon at the tourist attraction ... with cops saying it all started when the guy told folks he had a bomb on him, and then started climbing the carnival ride.

PERCHED ON THE PIER

The Santa Monica Police Department says as the man scaled the Ferris wheel, he was shouting at officers down on the pier ... but they couldn't make out what he was saying as he hung out in the middle of the spoke.

Shocked onlookers watched in horror as a standoff ensued, and it didn't take long for helicopters to start swirling overhead.

The Ferris wheel stopped and folks who were on the ride became stuck ... and they had to be rescued by a Santa Monica Fire Department cherry picker truck.

About an hour into the affair, the guy started climbing down from his perch on the 85-foot tall ride ... appearing to communicate with law enforcement.

Ultimately, the guy was arrested ... and cops say they did not find any bombs.