UPDATE: Arrest made after New Hanover County Courthouse bomb threat
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office evacuated the New Hanover County Courthouse and Historic Courthouse due to a bomb threat Monday morning.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said at approximately 10:10 a.m., a threat was received at 911, indicating an explosive device had been placed within the courthouse.
As a precaution, NHSO secured the scene and evacuated the New Hanover County Courthouse as well as the New Hanover County Historic Courthouse.
The New Hanover County Commissioners were meeting in the historic courthouse at the time.
A New Hanover County spokesman said they were in the middle of their meeting, which began at 9 a.m., when they were told to evacuate.
The Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad Unit conducted a full sweep of the courthouse and the historic courthouse.
After an extensive search, no explosives were found.
As of 11:30 a.m., law enforcement had issued the all-clear.
Staff and members of the public were allowed to return once the Bomb Squad completed its operation.
A county spokesman said the New Hanover County Commissioners meeting resumed.
Melissa Lawerence is a Pre-K teacher, and she was at the courthouse when the threat came through.
“It was super scary; we were all talking to the commissioners about the importance of Pre-K and suddenly a sheriff came in and rushed out the commissioners and told us to stay seated and we were rushed out right behind them,” Lawerence said.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said Benjamin Deon Patrick has been taken into custody following the bomb threat made against the New Hanover County Courthouse.
He has been charged with making a false report concerning a destructive device, misuse of 911, and making a false report to law enforcement.
Patrick is in the New Hanover County Detention Facility under no bond.
Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office said this disrupts the day-to-day process of the courthouse.
“It’s a large disruption so to have to rescan all of those people, to have to take the inmates that were here and put them back in, they were secured during that time. It’s a time-consuming process,” Brewer added.
