Calhoun County (AL) – At approximately 6:00 PM on December 9, 2022, a man later identified by Douglas Allen Simpson, 55, entered Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office’s main building and demanded that Sheriff Matthew Wade speak to him. Simpson seemed to be upset and raised concerns with staff at the front desk. Sheriff Wade stated, “That’s when he claimed he had a bomb and then produced one.”
All County employees were immediately evacuated from both the dispatch center’s front desk and the dispatch area. Deputies were also called in to help. Sheriff Wade stated that there are procedures in place to handle this type of emergency. There was no disruption to dispatching services for investigators or patrol deputies.
The scene was quickly cleared by deputies who were able safely to take Simpson into custody. Further inspection revealed that the device was safe and did not contain explosives. The investigation revealed that Simpson has emotional problems, which could have contributed to this behavior. Simpson was taken to jail and charged with obstruction of government operations. He was also given a $300.00 bond. Sheriff Wade explained that Simpson was not charged with any additional charges due to his possible mental illness.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident.
