After False Shooting Call, Hoboken Police Warn Of Danger Of 'Swatting'

HOBOKEN, NJ — After police converged on a block near the southern entrance to Hoboken on Monday night, they said Tuesday that they were responding to a false phone call in which someone claimed he'd shot someone else.

Police warned residents Tuesday of the dangers of such a "swatting" attack, meant to draw police resources to an area through a prank phone call.

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On Monday night around 6:50 p.m., the city sent a Nixle alert to residents, and the police posted on social media, warning residents to avoid a block of Grand Street, from Newark to First streets, because of "police activity."

On Tuesday, police said that around 6:25 p.m., dispatchers "received a call from someone claiming to have shot another individual inside the building. All Hoboken Police units on duty, along with the Hoboken Fire Department, Hoboken EMS, and Stevens Police Department immediately responded to the area, closing Grand Street between Newark and First Streets to the public."

Police said that Officers Christopher Barral, Ramon Estrella, Rose Kanan, and Ricky Truppner, under the supervision of Sgt. Francis "Duke" McCourt, entered the building and quickly determined the call to be a hoax.

"Officers searched the building, unit by unit, explaining the situation to all residents, before clearing the scene," police said in a release Tuesday. "Hoboken PD would like to thank members of the public for their patience and cooperation during the initial response and investigation."

The police noted that such a call is dangerous.

Forced A Toddler Out Of The House

Such calls can draw police away from other crimes, and may cause people to panic and react badly.

Last year, police converged on a house in Maplewood thanks to one such call, demanding on megaphones that the occupants come out. Two unwitting parents emerged with their toddler.

"Swatting, which has become more prevalent across the country, is the deliberate and malicious act of reporting a false crime or emergency with the intention of evoking an aggressive law enforcement response to another person's address in an attempt to harass or intimidate that person."

The FBI says that in 2009, a 19-year-old hacker was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison in for making numerous "swatting" calls. You can read more about swatting and its consequences in Wired.

Investigating

The Hoboken Police Department continues to investigate the incident and asks anyone with information to contact Detective Ryan Houghton at 201-420-2100. Anyone found guilty of causing a false public alarm faces up to five years in jail.

If anyone is injured during a swatting incident, defendants can be charged with that, as well, police said.

Catch up on other Hoboken news quickly here at Hoboken Patch.

You can learn more about the Hoboken Police Department at www.hobokenpdnj.gov.