Norton Swatting Hoax: Arrest Made, Police Say

NORTON, MA — A Boston woman "swatted" four people in Norton Wednesday morning, telling authorities there was a hostage situation on East Main Street when in fact the whole thing was a hoax, police said. Alicia Mitchell, 36, was charged with a host of crimes. The call drew a huge police response, including multiple SWAT teams.

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Mitchell was charged with making a false report to police, threatening to use a firearm, interfering with police and disturbing the peace. She was held on $15,000 bail pending an arraignment Thursday in Attleboro District Court.

The incident happened at about 3 a.m. and the call was directed at four people at an apartment building at 275 East Main Street. Nearby apartments were evacuated during the incident, which was resolved at about 8:30 a.m.

Swatting is when a vengeance-seeking individual contacts police and makes up a story in an attempt to draw a police response toward another person or group.

"At approximately 3 (a.m.) ... (Mitchell) stated to police that she was being held in her apartment, along with three children, by a man who was known to her and who had a firearm," Norton police Lieutenant Todd Jackson said in a statement. "Police were initially unable to enter the apartment due to the door being barricaded."

Negotiators with the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council continued to talk to the caller, Jackson said.

"After a period of exchanges between the negotiators and the caller, entry was gained into the apartment," Jackson said. "The occupants of the apartment, two adult males and two adult females, were questioned and released."

Jackson continued, "Police believe the incident was a hoax, or swatting call, and that the caller was not in the apartment."

Norton police, the state police bomb squad, the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council, the Southeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council, Mansfield police and the Norton Fire Department responded to the scene.

In December, an Andover teenager was sentenced to prison for orchestrating a nationwide swatting spree, police said:

Andover Teen Hacker Sentenced for Nationwide Swatting Spree

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