FCSO Investigates Bogus Call That Ended In SWAT Response

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Flagler County, FL-Authorities in Flagler County are investigating what turned out to be a bogus call that ended with a SWAT response to a home at 14 Ziegler Place in Palm Coast last night.

FCSO spokesman Joe Troiano says it began with a muffled voice calling the administrative phone line in communications to report that someone had been shot at the home by black males with AK-47s. That call came in around 9:12 PM. Deputies responded and arrived to see a black male in the garage of the home.  As a deputy tried to talk to the man, the subject went inside, shut the door and refused to come out.

Marked patrol cars gathered outside and used public address to try to get the man to come out. After two hours, the FCSO SWAT team entered the home and found the man inside. He told deputies that he was scared because he had been robbed by what he called "police" in Daytona Beach recently. He feared it was happening again. He told deputies and they confirmed that no crime had happened in the home. Authorities confirmed there was no 911 call from the home. The man will not be charged.

Troiano says this kind of bogus call is termed "Swatting" and involves someone making a false call to authorities in order to get tactical officers to respond. Sheriff Jim Manfre says the prank is dangerous to both citizens and officers. The resident may not know it's a prank. Manfre says it also costs in deputies tied up and resources expended.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the FCSO at 386-313-4911, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-8477 (TIPS). Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible to receive a reward of up to $1,000.

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