Man arrested after allegedly threatening to blow up the Whatcom courthouse
A 36-year-old man is facing felony charges after he allegedly threatened to blow up the Whatcom County Courthouse earlier this week.
Christopher Michael Brown was charged Thursday, April 20, in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of threats to bomb or injure property.
Brown remained in the Whatcom County Jail as of Friday afternoon, April 21, in lieu of $7,500 bail or a $750 cash alternative, jail records show.
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, a Whatcom County employee saw Brown outside the south doors of the county courthouse yelling at another Whatcom County employee.
Brown was allegedly yelling about a bomb being in the men’s restroom, according to court records.
The first county employee ran inside and called 911, while the second county employee ran inside and notified courthouse security.
The second county employee told a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputy that Brown told her there was a bomb in the courthouse and that he was going to blow it up, the court records state.
The woman said Brown also asked whether the courthouse was on lockdown. He also told her the bomb was in the men’s bathroom on the first floor before he walked away, records show.
The public areas of the courthouse were searched by law enforcement and a bomb detection dog, but nothing explosive was found, court records state.
Brown, who is homeless, was found several minutes later near Commercial and Flora streets. When deputies contacted Brown, he allegedly said “Is this about the bomb?,” according to court records.
A deputy took a photograph of Brown, which was shown to the two county employees, and they identified Brown as the man who allegedly made the bomb threats, court records state.
This story was originally published April 21, 2023 at 11:59 AM.
