Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

AHOSKIE – Southern Bank on Main Street in Ahoskie shut down operations Monday afternoon following a bomb threat.

Ahoskie Police Chief Jimmy Asbell said emergency responders cleared the scene at around 4 pm.

“We received the call right around 12 noon and dispatched several units to the scene,” Asbell said.

He added that the employees and customers evacuated the building.

“We secured the building and began a search of the premises, inside and outside,” Asbell said. “The SBI sent one of their agents with a canine trained to perform searches of explosive devices. We did not find any suspicious packages or items during the search.”

Ahoskie Police and Ahoskie Fire Department vehicles blocked all access points to the bank’s parking lot for the duration of the event. Also responding to the scene were Hertford County Emergency Management and Hertford County EMS.

Asbell said the bomb threat was made through a telephone call to the bank.

“They immediately called 9-1-1 and we were dispatched to the scene,” Asbell said.

He added that the Ahoskie Police has retrieved the phone number from which the bomb threat was made.

“We are currently investigating that number and who it belongs to,” Asbell stated.