photo by: Mackenzie Clark

A handler walks out of the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center with a bomb-sniffing dog shortly before a bomb threat was determined not to be credible on Thursday, July 25, 2019.

Story updated at 4:50 p.m. Thursday, July 25:

Law enforcement closed the Douglas County Courthouse and surrounding areas for about 2 1/2 hours Thursday after a bomb threat was called into dispatchers.

Lt. Kristen Channel, of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, said at the scene that Kansas Highway Patrol bomb-sniffing dogs searched the courthouse as well as the Douglas County Judicial and Law Enforcement Center.

Law enforcement located no explosive devices and deemed the bomb threat not credible shortly after 4 p.m. Thursday.

Employees of both buildings were evacuated shortly after the threat came in around 2 p.m., and they were told to go home for the day around 3 p.m. The Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., and the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St., house the bulk of county administration and criminal justice services.

Law enforcement had closed off several blocks surrounding the buildings for the duration of the search. Massachusetts and 11th streets were closed in that area, and vehicles blocked off intersections as far east as 11th and Connecticut streets and as far south as 13th and Massachusetts streets.

Channel and public information officers at the scene did not share information about the source of the call.

“We take all threats seriously,” Douglas County Sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Cooper said during the search when asked whether the threat was considered credible.

Reached via email just before 5 p.m., Cooper said the sheriff’s office was still investigating the source of the call and no arrests had been made in connection.

All court proceedings for the rest of the afternoon were canceled. Those who were scheduled for court dates or appointments should call the court division they were supposed to see in the morning, Channel said.

photo by: Mackenzie Clark

Left to right, Douglas County Commissioner Michelle Derusseau, Assistant to the County Administrator Jill Jolicoeur, Douglas County Undersheriff Gary Bunting and Douglas County Sheriff Ken McGovern stand outside the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St., on Thursday, July 25, 2019, after a bomb threat was called in to emergency dispatch.

photo by: Mackenzie Clark

Law enforcement and public information officers stand by outside the Judicial and Law Enforcement Center and Douglas County Courthouse Thursday, July 25, 2019, after a bomb threat was called in to emergency dispatch.