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Joint Law Enforcement Efforts Lead to an Arrest Following Multiple Wal-Mart Bomb Threats
Post Date:05/18/2016 3:30 PM
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Atlanta Police Department Public Affairs |
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Elizabeth Espy |
Chata Spikes |
News Release
Joint Law Enforcement Efforts Lead to an Arrest Following Multiple Wal-Mart Bomb Threats
(Atlanta) – The Atlanta Police Department is pleased to announce the apprehension of Derick Joseph, 29, in connection with bomb threats called in to metro area Wal-Mart stores.
Thursday, May 12, Atlanta Police and the Atlanta Police Homeland Security Unit responded to a bomb threat at the Wal-Mart located at 1801 Howell Mill Road, N.W. Atlanta. In abundance of caution, the store was evacuated and thoroughly searched. It was determined that the store was safe.
During the same time as the evacuation at the Howell Mill location, Atlanta police learned that there was a bomb threat called in to the Wal-Mart store located at 8424 Mall Parkway in Lithonia, as well as the Wal-Mart store located at 6065 Jonesboro Road in Morrow.
The Atlanta Police Homeland Security Unit, DeKalb County Police Homeland Security Unit and the Morrow Police Department shared information and discovered that the same person was responsible for calling in the bomb threats.
The investigation led authorities to obtain warrants for Derick Joseph. On Tuesday, May 17, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Fugitive Unit arrested Joseph. Authorities also took custody of Joseph’s cell phone and determined that he placed 14 calls to area Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores, but only three stores received known threats.
Joseph is charged with False Public Alarm and Terroristic Threats. He is currently in the DeKalb County Jail. Upon making bond, he will be transferred to the Fulton County Jail to answer to the Atlanta charges. He will also face charges in the City of Morrow.
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