Bomb Threat At Williamson County Jail Prompts Two-Hour Facility Sweep

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A bomb threat at the Williamson County Jail on Friday morning prompted officials to check the sweep the site and bring in a bomb-sniffing dog before giving the all-clear some two hours later.

County officials confirmed the bomb threat via a news advisory. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody also alerted the public via Facebook at about 11 a.m. that the area had been secured.

Williamson County officials declined to provide details: "Please no media inquires at this time as so staff can ensure the safety of staff, employees, and inmates," county spokeswoman Connie Watson wrote via email. "We are quite busy right now. Thank you for your patience and understanding."

In a subsequent telephone interview with Patch on Friday afternoon, Chody said the bomb threat was a hoax. Still, the facility was checked for explosives with the aid of a drug-sniffing dog along with parts of the justice center across the street.

"At around 8 a.m. this morning, we received a phone call there was a bomb a the jail," he said. "We took precautionary measures and reached out to the justice center and the judges. First, we did quick search of the justice center and used the dog to search specific rooms in the justice center."

A visual search of the jail followed the sweep by the canine as well, he said.

Chody hinted they might be able to identify the person who called in the bomb threat in short order. "I'm confident we'll have a resolution to this," he said. "We have strong leads."

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