Story updated at 5:06 p.m. Tuesday:
Several University of Kansas football facilities were evacuated Monday evening following a bomb threat, according to KU police, and a KU football player is currently facing a felony charge in Douglas County District Court.
On Monday evening, the Anderson Family Football Complex, Beatty Family Pavilion and David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium were evacuated and searched by police officers, the University of Kansas Police Department said in a short press release. Sgt. Damon Tucker, an interim deputy chief at KUPD currently handling public information duties, wrote in an email that “no devices were found, and police issued an all-clear at approximately 8:01 p.m.,” five hours after the threat had initially been made. KUPD arrested a suspect “for making the threats,” Tucker wrote.
Douglas County Jail booking logs showed that Joseph Michael Krause, 21, was arrested at 4:35 p.m. Monday. Krause is a sophomore offensive lineman on the KU football team from Prairie Village, and according to a charging document he is charged with aggravated criminal threat, a felony. The document alleges that on Monday, Krause made “a threat to commit violence” and that the “KU football facilities” were “evacuated, locked down, or disrupted as to regular, ongoing activities as a result of the threat.”
The document says a conviction could result in between 31 months and more than 11 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $300,000, as well as two years of post-release supervision. Several employees of the KU athletic department and Mass Street Collective, KU’s name, image and likeness partner, are cited in the document as witnesses.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Kansas Athletics wrote that “We are aware of a situation involving one of our student-athletes.”
“We take the safety of our staff, student-athletes and coaches very seriously,” the statement read. “We are gathering more information and will have no further comment at this time.”
Krause made his first appearance in Douglas County District Court on Tuesday afternoon, appearing via videoconference from the jail. He told the judge he did not currently have an attorney but would have one hired within 48 hours.
The state asked that Krause’s bond be set at $30,000 cash or surety and that he be prohibited from contacting any witnesses in the case other than law enforcement officers. Judge Stacey Donovan instead set Krause’s bond at $10,000 cash or surety with no stipulations about contacting witnesses. Krause is next scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Aug. 2.
— Journal-World reporter Matt Resnick contributed to this story.
