Man accused of calling in bomb threat to Allegheny County Courthouse 'didn't want to go to court'

A man who didn’t want to face a judge for a probation violation hearing Monday instead called in a bomb threat, forcing hundreds to evacuate the courthouse as authorities conducted a meticulous, 90-minute sweep of the building.

Brandon Hipps, 21, who is homeless, now faces a litany of charges that, if he is convicted, will likely cost him more time than he stood to face had his probation been revoked at Monday’s hearing.

Hipps had been serving one year of probation after pleading guilty to a simple assault charge in September. He was charged again with simple assault on July 31. He was set for a probation hearing in front of Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer on Monday.

Shortly before 9 a.m., someone made a 911 call claiming a bomb was going to explode in the courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh that morning, according to Sheriff Kevin Kraus. More than 250 people were evacuated, and officers from multiple agencies spent an hour and a half clearing the five-story building.

“He feared that he was going to be sent to a state institution and, simply, he didn’t want to come to court, so he felt the need to call in a bomb threat to the courthouse,” Kraus said.

Investigators determined the threat was called in from near West Park on the city’s North Side.

“We talked to people on the street, we talked to homeless shelters, we talked to businesses, we talked to people in their homes,” Kraus said. “It was kind of old-fashioned police work — hit the streets and try and gather information, which we did.”

Having homed in on Hipps, investigators waited for him in Market Square where he was known to hang out, Kraus said. He was taken into custody without incident.

Hipps told investigators he’d called in the threat because he didn’t want to go to court that day, and he confirmed it was his voice on an audio recording of the call, Kraus said. Hipps had two cellphones on him when he was arrested, one of which police believe was used to call in the threat.

Hipps is charged with making terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, obstructing the administration of law and multiple counts related to making false calls to 911.