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NATCHEZ — Law enforcement and first responders surrounded Natchez Stine for more than an hour on Memorial Day weekend due to a bomb threat that was made over the employees’ radios.

Authorities said they do not know who made the threat adding some of the business’ radios were unaccounted for.

Officers were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:15 Saturday, Natchez Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said.

He added his officers immediately responded along with Mississippi Highway Patrol, AMR and Natchez Fire Department, following emergency protocol. Adams County Sheriff’s Office also assisted by blocking off the entryways to the business from the highway and making customers turn around. Two of the business’ employees who said they were on break when the threat was made used their personal vehicles to block the entryway as well.

In the meantime, all of the employees evacuated and waited outside the business for it to be cleared. MHP bomb dogs were used to sweep the business to quickly figure out if there was any danger. Daughtry said everyone was safe and there was no other incident or injury.

“I’m not sure if this was a hoax or not, but what I do know is that it is not funny,” he said. “In these situations, we have to err on the side of caution. I just want to thank everyone who came out to help. Adams County Sheriff’s Office assisted by making sure that no one could get in and that passersby were safe and MHP got there quickly with their dogs to make sure everything was clear and that the business could reopen safely.”

By 4 p.m. the business reopened as normal.