Police said a bomb claim from someone posing as an FBI agent led to an evacuation at First Oklahoma Bank in Jenks on Tuesday. Officers later arrested Joshua Redmond after police said he returned to the bank carrying a weapon and causing a disturbance.
According to News On 6, Redmond called the Jenks Police Department and urged officers to evacuate the bank at 100 S. Riverfront Drive. Police said he claimed to have overheard a disgruntled employee threaten to blow up the building and told officers he worked for the FBI.
Officers cleared the bank and searched it for suspicious items. The search found nothing suspicious, and employees and customers were later allowed back inside, News On 6 reported.
Police Checked the Caller’s FBI Claim
Jenks police contacted the FBI's Tulsa office to check Redmond's claimed identity. Police said the office reported that its system showed no agent by that name.
How to Check an Agent’s Claim
As general guidance, the FBI advises people who have doubts about a caller’s claims to verify them with the appropriate law enforcement agency or court officials, according to FBI Atlanta. That guidance does not establish what happened in the Jenks incident.
Police said Redmond returned to the bank later and caused a disturbance while carrying an ASP, a baton-type weapon.
Arrest and Booking
Police said Redmond was arrested after the disturbance and booked into the Tulsa County Jail. He faced complaints of impersonating a police officer, falsely reporting a crime, and threatening to use an incendiary device or explosives.
