Hinds County courthouse, clerk’s office evacuate over potential hazardous device threat

Hinds County Circuit Courthouse and the Hinds County Circuit Clerk’s Office are being evacuated until further notice because of a potential hazardous device threat, Hinds County officials said in a Facebook post. Other law enforcement partners are responding to assist, and the incident is under investigation, the post said.

The Hinds County Circuit Courthouse, located in Jackson, Mississippi, houses the county’s circuit court and related courtrooms. The circuit clerk’s office maintains court records, filings and public documents for cases handled by the circuit court.

Evacuations of courthouses are taken to protect the public and court staff and can disrupt scheduled hearings, filings and public access to court services. Law enforcement agencies typically secure the area and investigate such threats to determine whether a device is present and whether there is an ongoing risk.

Officials did not provide additional details in the post. We will provide more information as it becomes available.