Bomb threat rattles East County

Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a bomb threat at an East County gas station April 2.

A sheriff’s office report states an unknown male called 911 at about 4:44 p.m., and said there was a bomb at the gas station at 11002 S.R. 64 E.

The Emergency Communications Center had to play the tape back to understand what it said because the man was speaking quickly.

Patrol units responded and spoke to employees at the station, who contacted the district manager. The store closed, and deputies conducted two separate searches, including one with a bomb-sniffing dog, the report states.

The call came from a payphone outside the store. The phone was processed for latent prints.

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected].