Police react to possible threat against Writebol

ATLANTA, GA. — WSB-TV has learned DeKalb County police were on high alert Tuesday because of threats directed at Nancy Writebol's ride to Emory University Hospital.
 
WSB-TV's Erica Byfield learned the FBI asked DeKalb County police to get involved.
 
Byfield said she knew something was going on when about 11 a.m. Tuesday two DeKalb officers pulled up in front of the hospital and in the minutes that followed she saw more officers.
 
As the caravan with the ambulance caring Writebol weaved its way through the metro, DeKalb County police were nearby.
 
Police said there were 15 local officers in the motorcade.
 
It was only after the 58-year-old Ebola patient was inside the Emory hospital we learned there were threats surrounding her ride to the facility.
 
"I can't get into the specifics of it, and quite frankly I don't know what they were, but here again it was nothing we were overly concerned about," said DeKalb County Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander.
 
Alexander told Byfield what he did know is after the FBI and university officials asked his department for assistance they were going to do whatever it took to make sure Writebol got to the hospital safely.
 
The department's plan came together in less than 24 hours.
 
"Since we have an abundance of resources in this county we were able to do a host of things. We did a bomb sweep here and in addition to that we had SWAT personnel assigned to the escort of this patient," Alexander said.
 
Police blocked off streets and guarded entrances to the hospital. They also used a helicopter to hover over head.
 
"We had enough officers on the scene to mitigate any potential threat that might have been," Alexander said.
 
Alexander confirmed late Tuesday afternoon the threats appeared to be unsubstantiated.

WSOC