Waterford bank bomb threat, man arrested

WATERFORD, Wis. - Law enforcement and fire department personnel responded to a possible bomb threat at a Waterford bank Tuesday afternoon, July 5.

Police told FOX6 News that a man was arrested, identifying him as a Racine County resident. Charges will be referred to the district attorney's office.

The Waterford Fire Department was called to assist law enforcement at the scene near 8th and Fox around 2:45 p.m. There, a person had made threats to bank staff "consistent with a bomb threat" while in the drive-thru.

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An object was found in the parking lot, the fire department said, which police told FOX6 News was a briefcase. A perimeter was established, and emergency personnel provided either evacuation or shelter-in-place help to people in the area and at nearby businesses.

Shortly after 4:20 p.m., the fire department said, explosives experts arrived. Just after 5:30 p.m., the "all-clear" was given and the scene was deemed safe. Police told FOX6 no explosives were found.

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During the event, an oxygen-dependent guest of a nearby hotel impacted by the evacuate/shelter-in-place was assessed and helped by fire department personnel. An explosives technician was assessed as a preventative measure. No other injuries were reported.

In a Facebook statement, Waterford's Interim Fire Chief Tom Nehring said:

"Incidents like these evolve quickly and require an immediate response to best protect the safety and welfare of our customers. Our vested interest and intimate knowledge of our community proved to be a valuable resource as we assisted our partners during this law enforcement-driven event. I am proud of the speed, professionalism and technical competence our responders displayed at this high-risk, low-frequency event."