The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department has to respond to a variety of different situations each and every week, but a threat made by a homeless man last weekend was something new. The man’s suspicious actions resulted in the entire Sheriff’s office and jail having to evacuate.

Sheriff Patrick Ray told the Smithville Review that on Saturday, July 10, at 11:14 a.m., a shirtless white male arrived at the DeKalb County Jail carrying what appeared to be a red toolbox. The man approached the entrance to the jail, then laid the box down on the concrete porch.

When a correctional officer came out and asked the man what he was doing, the man told the officer that someone had given him the box and that he thought it was radioactive. The man told the officer that he was going to leave the box at the jail as he walked away.

Erring on the side of caution, the officer began to evacuate the jail, with all of the inmates and staff evacuated to the exercise pens in the back of the jail for their safety.

Sheriff Ray said that when Central Dispatch was notified, a Smithville City Police Officer replied that he thought he might know who the man was, and soon found the suspect and brought him back to the jail. Security footage confirmed the man as the suspect, identified as 46-year-old Jimmy Mason Page, who is reportedly homeless.

Page has been charged with filing a false report for a bomb threat. The warrant alleges that, “Page committed a TCA violation, a false report bomb threat. Page brought a red container to the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department’s front porch, and dropped it off, stating that the package was radioactive. Page circulated a report of a past, present, or impending bombing, fire or other emergency, knowing that the report was false or baseless, and knowing it was cause action by any sort volunteer agency to deal with the emergency. It also placed persons in fear of serious bodily injury, which also caused 76 inmates, and the correctional staff, at the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department to be evacuated from the building.”

The Smithville City Fire Department responded to the scene and inspected the box. It was found to contain a case of reflective emergency triangles that are used by tractor-trailers in case of a breakdown.

Sheriff Ray said he would like to thank the Smithville Police Department and the Smithville Fire Department for their response, as well as E-911 Central Dispatch for their help during the incident.

Page is under a $10,000 bond and is set to appear in court on the charges on July 29, 2021.