ROGERS COUNTY, Okla. – An Oklahoma county courthouse was forced to close amid a strange pest problem on Monday.
Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton told KJRH that a lawyer came up to the third-floor courtroom at the Rogers County Courthouse with bugs falling out of his clothing.
As it turns out, the pests were bed bugs.
“Hard to imagine someone doesn’t know, you know that some bed bugs are crawling all over them certainly in abundance,” Sheriff Walton said.
Officials decided to close the courthouse in order to clean up the mess, and called exterminators.
The head of security said the attorney didn’t appear to care about the situation.
“I was told the individual that had them also shook his jacket over the prosecutor’s files,” Sheriff Walton said.
Mike Clarke, head of security for the Rogers County Courthouse, said the attorney was non-responsive to the situation.
“I don’t even think he cared,” Clarke said.
Exterminators were called to the 90,000 square foot building and were prepared to work through the night to get rid of the pests.
Employees and others treated themselves as a precaution.
A letter posted on the door of the courthouse advises anyone who believes they may have been exposed to treat themselves.
No word on who will pay the bill for the exterminators or what is being done for cases that had to be rescheduled.
