Man arrested after alleged bomb threat toward Madison Co. courthouse

MADISON COUNTY, N.C. (WSPA) – A man was arrested after allegedly making a bomb threat to a courthouse just after leaving his probation violation hearing.

According to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, dispatch received a call on Dec. 19 at 10:56 a.m., saying a bomb was inside an extension office temporarily housing the Madison County Courthouse.

After evacuating the building, deputies said they searched the office and conducted a perimeter search outside.

A K-9 from the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office also was requested to help detect explosives. The K-9’s search did not signal anything suspicious to deputies.

Deputies said video surveillance and a license plate recognition system on the Marshall bypass lead officials identifying Michael Shane Hilemon as a suspect.

Officials said Hilemon was in court for a probation violation hearing earlier that day. At the time, Hilemon was facing a 90 day sentence for the violation.

Hilemon left the court at around 10 a.m., with his car’s tag information being entered into the LPR system.

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