Authorities from the Federal Bureau of Investigation have arrested a man suspected of making a false bomb threat to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.
Michael Anthony Sparks was arrested at a family member’s home at approximately 8 p.m. Friday night, according to Fred Shelton, interim police chief of the Columbus Police Department.
The arrest occurred mere hours after non-essential staff and family members of patients were evacuated from the hospital while a team of explosive detecting dogs and their handlers from the Columbus Air Force Base searched the hospital for an explosive device. The search lasted over two hours before authorities issued the all-clear.
Sparks is currently in the custody of federal authorities in Oxford where he will go before a federal magistrate, Shelton said. Shelton is still waiting on an update from the FBI to release Sparks’ age and place of residence, though Shelton did say that Sparks has family in Columbus.
There are no other suspects in the case, Shelton said.
Authorities were alerted about the bomb threat after a male called the hospital switchboard Friday afternoon at approximately 12:13 p.m., Shelton said. Donna Grant, hospital spokesperson, told The Dispatch the caller claimed there was an explosive device inside the hospital and that the device would detonate within fifteen minutes.
That time came and went without incident.
Grant said the hospital immediately went into disaster mode. Non-essential staff and family members left the hospital until about 3:15 p.m. when the family members waiting outside were allowed back in.
A team of explosive detecting dogs and their handlers from CAFB searched the entire hospital, Shelton said. He did not say how many teams of dogs were at the scene but said it was a sufficient number to cover the whole area.
Authorities from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Columbus Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also at the scene.
Essential staff continued to provide care during the search. Patients were not evacuated.
“All-in-all, patient safety is our top priority,” Grant said. “The patients are being seen after. We’ll continue to treat ER patients as they come in.”
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