Bannock County Courthouse closes after bomb threat

The Bannock County Courthouse was one of three courthouses in Pocatello that was evacuated due to what the county called a “credible bomb threat” Monday morning.

The threat was called in to the Pocatello police, and commissioners gave the order to evacuate the courthouse. Since the threat didn’t mention a specific courthouse, both the juvenile and federal courts were evacuated as well.

The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, police and court security personnel were all at the county courthouse securing the building. The streets surrounding the courthouse were closed off, except for South Fifth Avenue.

“We can’t just automatically say it’s a bogus call,” said Capt. Kevin Fonnesbeck with the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office. “We have to make sure these buildings are secure because of the amount of people that are involved, as well as public safety.”

Pocatello police used their explosives dog to find any explosive materials in the buildings. All were cleared by noon.

The county courthouse and juvenile detention center remained closed for the rest of Monday. The federal courthouse went back to normal operations.

Investigators are now tracking down the caller. Anyone with information about the caller or the threat should call Pocatello police’s detective division at (208) 234-6121.