On 10/21/15, officers with the Benton Police Department (BNPD) took a report of a bomb threat at the Benton High School. At approximately 4:30 PM, information was obtained that indicated a bomb threat was made against the school. Officers, working with school staff, took immediate action to investigate the matter and determine who the suspect(s) was in the incident.
During the course of their investigation, a suspect was identified and subsequently placed under arrest. The suspect was a 16 year old female who was taken into custody without incident and charged with Threatening a Fire or Bombing. This is an on-going investigation and additional charges could be possible.
This incident ended with a peaceful outcome thanks to the cooperative working relationship between the BNPD and the Benton School District. Safety protocols and established procedures to handle such incidents played a pivotal role in a quick resolution, thus ensuring students safety. Although all threats are taken very seriously, at no time did it appear that an actual bomb threat was imminent and no bomb making related material was located.
Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 501-778-1171 or 501-315-TIPS. Individuals also may send us an anonymous crime tip about this crime to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com to leave a tip. A crime tip can also be submitted via the official Benton Police Department app found on ITunes and Google Play.
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