Police were on the scene at the Athens-Clarke Count Courthouse Thursday, where a bomb threat was called in at about 1:40 p.m.

A court employee received a telephone call indicating there was a bomb in the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse, Capt. Hayden Hodges, a spokesman for the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office, said in a news release.

The sheriff’s office immediately began the evacuation of the building, located on East Washington Street in downtown Athens.

Everyone was outside by 1:55 p.m., Hodges said.

A K9 unit arrived by 2:14 to conduct a sweep of the courthouse, during which a K9 alerted to a potential area. As a precaution, the U.G.A.P.D. Bomb Disposal Unit was called to investigate the area.

The area was deemed clear by the Bomb Disposal Unit and the courthouse was re-opened for normal business at 4:30 p.m., Hodges said.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department was contacted to conduct an investigation into the matter. The incident is being investigated at this time.

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