POCATELLO — A lockdown that gripped the city halls in Pocatello and Chubbuck Pocatello Wednesday morning ended without incident after investigators determined the subject who triggered the precautionary measure was never near the buildings.

At approximately 10:51 a.m., Pocatello Police Dispatch received a report of a male subject making threats to harm department employees and believed to be in the parking lot of Pocatello City Hall and the police department, according to a Pocatello police news release.

As a precautionary measure, both the police department and Pocatello City Hall were placed on lockdown, which lasted about 30 minutes, police said.

City employees and members of the public entering City Hall were escorted inside by officers, and the public was asked to avoid the area.

Shortly after the lockdown in Pocatello began, investigators pinged the subject’s phone and determined he was actually located in Chubbuck — not near Pocatello City Hall at all. The Pocatello lockdown was lifted, and the Chubbuck Police Department assumed responsibility for the investigation.

Chubbuck Police Chief Nick Sasser said his department locked down its police headquarters, City Hall and fire department as a result. The call, which came through Pocatello’s dispatch, involved an adult male experiencing a mental health crisis.

“The male was ultimately contacted by one of our officers via phone and we learned he was planning on going to a crisis center with a family member,” Sasser said. “No charges are being filed.”

Chubbuck’s lockdown lasted approximately one hour.

Pocatello Mayor Mark Dahlquist said the situation was unsettling at first, but that more details brought reassurance.

“It’s kind of unnerving,” Dahlquist said. “The lockdown was a precautionary measure and there never ended up being a threat or anything. But yeah, it kind of put us on edge a little bit, but then as we learned more, it turned out to not be a really big deal.”

Dahlquist said he was later briefed on what led to the call. The man was experiencing a suicidal crisis and called 911 expressing that he wanted law enforcement to be involved in his death — a scenario sometimes referred to as “suicide by cop.” The call was routed through Pocatello’s dispatch before officers located the man by tracing his phone to Chubbuck.

“It turned out he wasn’t even around our building at all,” Dahlquist said.

The Pocatello Police Department’s lockdown lasted approximately 30 minutes. The man was not arrested, and the matter was resolved when he agreed to seek help.

Suicide Prevention Resources

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

The South East Idaho Behavioral Crisis Center in Pocatello can be reached by calling 208-909-5177 and the Portneuf Medical Center Behavioral Health Services in Pocatello can be reached at 208-239-2571.

Online Resources include Community Suicide Prevention and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, or SAVE.