Swatting incident in Monroe leads to huge police response over fake shooting call
A "swatting" incident led to a huge police response Tuesday night in the city of Monroe, Michigan, before officers determined the 911 call claiming a domestic shooting incident in progress was fake.
Neighbors were asked to stay indoors, and nearby streets were closed off, during the time that the call was considered an active incident.
The Monroe Police Department detailed the circumstances of the case in a press release issued Wednesday.
The call to Monroe County Central Dispatch was from a man who claimed to have his wife tied up and that he was going to kill both her and their 6-year-old daughter. The address given was in the 800 block of West Front Street, which is a busy area for both local and through traffic.
During the call, the 911 staff could hear noises that sounded like crying, followed by noises that sounded like two gunshots, the report said. The caller then informed the dispatcher that he planned to kill himself, and another gunshot was heard.
Monroe police were the first to arrive, followed by Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputies and Michigan State Police. Given the circumstances and unsuccessful attempts to reach the caller, officers also requested the Monroe County Sheriff's Special Response Team.
As police and dispatchers began to investigate the origin of the call, they traced it to outside the state of Michigan. "This raised suspicions of a potential 'SWATTING' incident," the report said.
Swatting is a phrase used to refer to making false reports of serious crimes in progress, ones in which a police team trained in "special weapons and tactics" such as Monroe County's SRT might respond. It is a form of harassment, the police department said, "and can have dangerous and potentially deadly consequences for the targeted individual."
The story began to further unravel when neighbors told police that the resident of the home under surveillance lived by himself.
He was not home at the time, but police were able to locate him and got access to the property.
"Upon entering the residence, officers discovered that no crime had occurred, further confirming that our city was the victim of a SWATTING incident," the report said. "While we are grateful that no victims of a crime were found, we must emphasize the importance of taking such calls seriously. The department followed all established protocols and procedures during this incident. We have dedicated officers who serve our city and continually place themselves in harm's way to protect our citizens."
Monroe police detectives are continuing the investigation.
"We want to extend our gratitude to the MCSO, MSP, and Central Dispatch for their partnership and professionalism. The County of Monroe is fortunate to have strong and effective collaboration among our law enforcement agencies," the report said.
"We would also like to thank our citizens for their support and patience as we worked through this investigation. Both neighbors and passersby were affected by requests to remain indoors and the closure of nearby streets."
Monroe Police ask that anyone who has information about this incident contact D/Sgt. Oetjens at 734-243-7516 or Det. McKenzie at 734-243-7517.
