Officials: Fla. man makes bomb threat in hospital
TAMPA – Authorities say a man made a bomb threat after a nurse at a Gulf Coast hospital told him he couldn’t smoke.
Police say 23-year-old Brett G. Vanraalte faces one felony count of possession of a hoax bomb. He was arrested Saturday and was still in the Hillsborough County Jail Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities say Vanraalte suffered head injuries in a fight on Saturday and sought treatment at Tampa General Hospital.
Officials say he asked a nurse if he could step outside to smoke and became upset when she cited a new policy that prohibits smoking on hospital property.
The nurse told police the man got upset, put his oversized bag on the counter and told her he had a bomb inside. No bomb was located and he was arrested.
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