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Bomb threat at UPHS results in arrest

MARQUETTE — A 70-year-old Marquette man is in police custody after he allegedly made a bomb threat at UP Health System-Marquette hospital in the early hours of Friday morning.

At approximately 3:40 a.m. UPHS-Marquette contacted the police reporting that an unknown male had contacted the hospital claiming that explosives had been placed in the facility. The hospital was placed into a lockdown while the facility was searched by officers, hospital security and the Marquette Police Department K9 Odin.

Police say that nothing suspicious was found and the lockdown was ended at approximately 6:20 a.m. Friday morning.

After an investigation, police took 70-year-old Marquette resident Patrick Bassett into custody for False Report of a Bomb Threat and was lodged at the Marquette County Jail.

A Federal Bureau of Investigation press release from February of 2012 says that a Marquette man named Patrick Bassett was convicted of making bomb threats at a New York high school in 2011. The report says that Bassett made the threat because the high school was attended by the daughter of his ex-girlfriend.

UPHS-Marquette released a statement Friday afternoon.

“At UP Health System – Marquette, our top priority is the safety of our patients, employees, providers and visitors, and we take any threat to this safety very seriously. Early this morning, we responded quickly to a threat made toward the hospital. Our team followed the appropriate protocols and engaged the authorities to investigate and manage the incident,” the statement said. “Out of an abundance of caution, we implemented a temporary lockdown of our hospital campus, which has now been lifted. We continue to work with our local police department on this matter and want to ensure our community that patients, staff and visitors are safe at UP Health System – Marquette. We are proud of the swift action of our team and grateful to the authorities who are assisting.”

The Marquette Police Department was assisted by the Marquette Fire Department.

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