Written by Molly Schramm and Christian LeDuc, WCPO digital content producers
Procter & Gamble’s downtown Cincinnati offices are closed after a former employee — who is a Kenton County resident, according to police — made multiple threats to the company.
Ohio State Highway Patrol said the department received an officer safety bulletin Wednesday morning from Cincinnati police about a P&G employee who was fired in 2021 for not coming back to work after working from home during COVID.
He texted at least two employees about taking over the company, according to the safety bulletin.
“I’m shutting the world down via Cincinnati tomorrow,” he texted, according to the safety bulletin. He also allegedly sent an email to a former CEO telling him he was now in control and also told his family last weekend that he was now running P&G.
The bulletin indicates that the man still has a P&G work badge but it has been deactivated. The bulletin warns the man may have access to firearms and has threatened to “put officers down,” along with pointing firearms at law enforcement in the past.
This man “does not have a criminal history and according to family is suffering from mental illness,” CPD said in the safety bulletin.
Col. Patrick Morgan, Chief Deputy with the Kenton County Sheriff’s Office said deputies are aware of this situation and said acknowledged that the former P&G employee who made these threats is a Kenton County resident.
According to the safety bulletin, the man is “not currently wanted.” For this reason, WCPO is not naming him.
SWAT officers were stationed outside of the office early Wednesday morning.
P&G contacted CPD late Tuesday evening about the security concern at the downtown location, Cincinnati Police Sgt. Anthony Mitchell said.
“With the recent incidents surrounding the nation, P&G made the decision for their employees not to report to work this morning,” Sgt. Mitchell said.
A P&G employee told WCPO that she received a text around 6:30 a.m. instructing her to check her email for further details. She received the email around 6:12 a.m. notifying her that the office was shut down.
The email to P&G employees also said an “extended Cincinnati police presence” will be at all office entrances Wednesday, and Sgt. Mitchell said CPD is currently assisting P&G with the security concern.
P&G’s downtown office, located at 1 Procter & Gamble Plaza, is the company’s world headquarters. The multinational consumer goods corporation’s building takes up two blocks near Sycamore and Broadway streets between E 5th Street and E 6th Street.
The company has multiple other offices throughout the Tri-State that were not included in the security concern.
Currently, all other P&G locations in the Cincinnati area are open.
P&G has been contacted and has no comment on the situation.
No further information will be provided by CPD at this time, per Sgt. Mitchell.
