Bomb threat closes courthouse; no explosives found

BEAUFORT - Carteret County authorities are investigating a false bomb threat that forced the evacuation of the Carteret County courthouse complex for three hours Thursday and interrupted county business and court operations.

An anonymous threat of a bomb in the building was called into the Morehead City Police Department at 9:25 a.m., at which time the Carteret County Communications Center was immediately notified, according to the Carteret County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office notified the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team from Cherry Point to conduct a search of the building with the bomb detection dogs. The search revealed no evidence of a bomb and the building was declared safe.

The complex includes court operations as well as county administrative offices. Employees were allowed back to their offices around 1 p.m.

After a trace of the call, Sheriff and Morehead City Police Department detectives secured the site of a pay phone located at the 24th Street and Arendell Street gas station in Morehead City. The handset of the phone was seized and was being processed for evidence, the sheriff's office said.

No further details are being released at this time.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Carteret County CrimeStoppers at 252-726-4636.