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Update: Arrest Made In Bomb Threat Against Florida Capitol

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement officer walks the capitol complex with a bomb-sniffing dog
Lynn Hatter
/
WFSU News
A Florida Department of Law Enforcement officer walks the capitol complex with a bomb-sniffing dog

The Tallahassee Police Department quickly made an arrest following a bomb threat to the Capitol overnight.

The Capitol complex was swept by law enforcement and K-9 units. Nothing suspicious was found and the Capitol reopened to employees at 9am.

Officers responded to The Corner Pocket Bar and Grill on Apalachee Parkway in reference to the threat. That led to the arrest of 61-year-old Mark Wayne Clark for a false bomb threat in reference to state-owned property.

The threat was investigated by Tallahassee Police, Capitol Police, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Leon County Sheriff's Office.

Original story:

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement says no explosives have been found, but in an abundance of caution, the agency has closed the capitol complex until 9 a.m.

The agency has done a sweep of the buildings using officers and K-9s.

There has been a large and visible law enforcement presence at the capitol since last weekend. The National Guard was called on to assist local and state agencies after a Tallahassee man and self-described “anarchist” threatened to kidnap protestors who showed up to the capitol to protest for former President Donald Trump.

The FBI issued a notice warning of potential violence in the run-up to the inauguration and following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of the former President. No violence occurred in Tallahassee, and warnings of violence last Saturday didn’t pan out. On Inauguration Day, less than a dozen people peacefully protested at the Florida capitol.

The bomb threat was called in around 3 a.m. Thursday morning.

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Lynn Hatter is a Florida A&M University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Lynn has served as reporter/producer for WFSU since 2007 with education and health care issues as her key coverage areas.  She is an award-winning member of the Capital Press Corps and has participated in the NPR Kaiser Health News Reporting Partnership and NPR Education Initiative. 

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