Man charged with making bomb threat

A 32-year-old man with a history of mental illness has been charged with making a bomb threat at the federal courthouse, prompting the closure of surrounding blocks and snarling traffic in downtown Milwaukee last week.

Mohamad T. Hamdan faces one felony charge of making a terrorist threat and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. According to a criminal complaint: Hamdan parked a van outside the courthouse, 517 E. Wisconsin Ave., Thursday afternoon. He went inside, asked for the U.S. marshals and then claimed to be a marshal himself. When security officials asked for his identification, he began yelling “Ji-ha” and “Malakum” and “Allah.”

Several deputy U.S. marshals escorted Hamdan out of the courthouse. Hamdan shouted expletives and racial slurs at them and was switching between English and Arabic.

“I’m gonna kill you all, Allah, bomb,” he said, according to the marshals.

As soon as Hamdan said “bomb,” authorities decided to stop and identify him. After a brief struggle, he was taken into custody.

The streets surrounding the courthouse remained closed for a couple of hours while investigators checked for explosives. Several nearby businesses were evacuated and the courthouse was “partially evacuated” as a precaution.

Hamdan has several cases in Milwaukee County, including restraining orders and charges filed in January for disorderly conduct and bail jumping.

He was found to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, but a doctor said he could regain competency with psychotropic medication. He was ordered by a judge to take that medication and he was declared competent earlier this month in that case.