Law enforcement agencies have evacuated the Maleng Regional Justice Center in downtown Kent Friday afternoon because of a bomb threat.
All King County Superior Court operations were suspended for the rest of the day, according to a tweet from King County Superior Court at about 2:40 p.m. They added that people should check back Monday if they have court business this afternoon because the RJC, 401 Fourth Ave. N., is closed for the remainder of the day.
Kent Police are overseeing the investigation, but the King County Sheriff’s Office also is involved because it is a county building.
“We had a bomb threat called in to district court,” Sheriff’s Office spokesman Ryan Abbott said in a phone interview. “We evacuated everybody.”
Bomb sniffing dogs from the Port of Seattle Explosives Detection K-9 Units swept the building and an all clear notice was given at about 3:15 p.m., Abbott said.
“It was kind of a vague threat from what I understand,” Abbott said.
Kent Police Assistant Chief Jarod Kasner said officers cleared the scene after no explosives were located at the RJC.
“We have cleared the scene,” Kasner said.
The bomb threat did not impact the county jail on the west end of the RJC.
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