Bomb threat forces evacuation of downtown Bradenton buildings, cops say
Employees were allowed back into the Manatee County Judicial Center, the Manatee County Historic Courthouse and Manatee County government administration building in downtown Bradenton after a bomb threat forced their evacuation Monday afternoon.
The all-clear was given at 2:40 p.m., but the public was still not being allowed back in.
At 12:32 p.m., the threat was called into the Manatee County Historic Courthouse.
“Some guy called in anonymously that a bomb was going to go off in the courthouse in two hours, didn’t specify which building,” sheriff’s office spokesman Randy Warren said.
The employee who received the call reported it to the sheriff’s office. As a result, both courthouses were evacuated, as well as the county administration building across the street, as a precaution.
County employees, jurors and other visitors to the courthouse stood outside for nearly two hours as the threat was investigated.
“Deputies found nothing suspicious,” the sheriff’s office tweeted around 3 p.m. Authorities say an investigation into the anonymous call is ongoing.
Deputies, including from the sheriff’s office bomb squad, worked to clear the buildings and surrounding complex. The entire perimeter was surrounded with more than 20 deputies as K-9’s and their handlers could be seen checking the grounds.
Employees and visitors to the buildings were being kept across the street along Old Main Street. Deputies stationed on all sides of the courthouses worked to prevent visitors and guests from parking near the site while the scene was investigated.
Potential jurors were also among the crowd waiting for an all clear to go back inside.
“They were questioning us and narrowing down the group to see who was going to be on the jury when it happened,” said Dyjore Holmes, who was participating in jury duty for the first time.
Mike Miranda, a Manatee County probation officer, said that the building has been evacuated for other emergencies in the past.
“But this is the first one that’s for a bomb scare. I think law enforcement responded very quickly,” Miranda said.
Traffic was allowed to keep moving along Manatee Avenue West.
Employees were allowed to return to the buildings shortly before 3 p.m.
Staff writer Ryan Ballogg contributed to this story.
This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 2:08 PM.
