York Regional Police Chief Eric Jolliffe is slamming the practice of making fake 911 calls after someone made a false call to police over the weekend about a homicidal family member with a gun.
The 911 call came in to York Regional Police around 5:40 a.m. on Sunday.
A man who sounded like he was in distress called 911 to say that his father had an assault rifle and had shot a family member, police said in a news release Monday.
Police said the caller provided detailed information about the situation and said he feared he was in imminent danger.
In audio of the call released by police, the caller says his father is shooting his gun and that he is hiding from him. He says his father is schizophrenic, has been drinking and hasn’t taken his medication.
“I’m hiding, I’m hiding, oh my god,” the caller says, his voice quivering.
He also says he believes his mother has been shot and that his father is trying to find him. Eventually the call muffles and goes dead, with the operator left hanging on.
Officers responded to the call at a Richmond Hill home and burst into the house to try and rescue the man. When they entered, they discovered a startled family of two adults and two kids who had no idea why they were there.
In a news release Monday, Jolliffe said the practice of ‘swatting’ – making a fake call to police to draw out a SWAT team as a hoax – puts officers and others “at significant risk.”
“Fake calls to 911 are not only resource intensive, but traumatic for all involved, from the family who had their door broken down, to the call-taker who took the 911 call, all the way through to the frontline officers who were responding to what they believed was an active shooter,” Jolliffe said. “Thankfully in this case, no one was physically injured, but anytime our officers make entry into a home in what we all believe to be an emergency situation, there is a significant risk.”
York police said they are now trying to determine who made the call and say the perpetrator could face charges that carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Police also advised the public to avoid posting detailed information about your family and where you live on social media, as the information can be used by the perpetrators of ‘swatting’ hoaxes.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7241, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips.
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