The operations arm of Kentucky’s court system says there was no emergency on Friday, despite an alert issued to many courthouses and judicial centers.
The Administrative Office of the Courts says its VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) telephone system inadvertently activated an emergency alert just before 9:00 a.m EDT. That prompted an evacuation of the Hardin County Justice Center. Officer Chris Denham says Elizabethtown police responded to a report of an active shooter.
“Our officers arrived on scene less than a minute after receiving the initial call," Denham told WKU Public Radio. "In conjunction with court security deputies, we immediately began searching for the alleged shooter.”
Ten minutes later, responding officers received word there was no active shooter. The alert also wasn’t a planned test.
The AOC declined to comment on the incident, but thanked law enforcement for their quick response at court facilities around the state.
"Their professionalism and dedication were paramount in ensuring the safety and well-being of our elected justices, judges, clerks and KCOJ employees during this incident," the AOC said in a statement.
The AOC added its working with the agency’s telecommunications provider to ensure a false alarm doesn’t happen again.
