Written by Amanda Coers – The Brown County Courthouse was evacuated shortly after 9:30 a.m on Friday morning after a bomb threat was reported. According to the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, a man called a secretary working in the courthouse at 9:34 a.m. The man stated there was a bomb placed somewhere inside the courthouse and that it would detonate within minutes of the call.

The secretary alerted courthouse security and all employees and personnel were evacuated within five minutes of the alert.

The sheriff and several deputies searched the entire courthouse and found no evidence of a bomb. The call was classified as a hoax, and all evacuated individuals were allowed to return to their duties within the courthouse. Court proceedings were interrupted by the threat, but resumed shortly after being cleared of any credible danger.

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The Brown County Sheriff’s Office will be looking into whoever made that call.

“There’s going to be an investigation,” said Captain James Stroope. “And there is a possibility that charges will be filed.”

According to Texas State Law, an individual found guilty of a bomb threat hoax could be subjected to incarceration in a state jail.

§ 42.06. FALSE ALARM OR REPORT.
(a) A person commits an offense if he knowingly initiates, communicates or circulates a report of a present, past, or future bombing, fire, offense, or
other emergency that he knows is false or baseless and that would ordinarily:
(1) cause action by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies;
(2) place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; or
(3) prevent or interrupt the occupation of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, or aircraft, automobile, or other mode of conveyance.
(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor unless the false report is of an emergency involving a public primary or secondary school, public communications, public transportation, public water, gas, or power supply or other public service, in which event the offense is a state jail felony