By Fox23.com News Staff
MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The Muskogee Police Department responded to a reported hostage situation Wednesday evening that turned out to be a hoax.
At around 6:30 p.m., MPD received a report of a hostage situation in the 300 block of South N Street. The caller said that a victim had been shot and that a suspect inside the home was armed with a rifle.
Officers responded to the home and tried to make contact with people inside the home. An armored vehicle was also on scene as a precautionary measure.
Officers were able to make contact with the people inside the home and determined that they were OK, and there was no active threat. The people inside the home fully cooperated and were unaware of any reported incident involving their home.
Officers canvassed the surrounding area and determined the call to be a hoax commonly referred to as ‘swatting.’
Swatting is a criminal act in which people make false reports of serious emergencies to provoke a large law enforcement response. MPD said these incidents are dangerous and divert public safety resources from legitimate emergencies.
MPD shared the following statement in part:
“This type of hoax has occurred across the country and is not new to our agency. We commend the residents involved for their cooperation and composure during this unnecessary and potentially dangerous situation. This incident remains under investigation. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Muskogee Police Department at 918-683-8000.”
