University Heights 911 Caller Accused Of Inducing Panic

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH — University Heights police are defending their response to a 911 call reporting a suspicious man in late June whom a caller claimed was armed. Police have now issued warrants for the caller's arrest.

At 7:40 p.m. on June 28, police were called to Washington Heights Boulevard. A caller said a man was "going crazy," and was flailing his arms in the air. The caller said the man might be suicidal and could be armed with a handgun.

When officers arrived, the suspect, a 43-year-old from Cleveland, was sitting on the side of the road. According to Chief of Police Dustin Rogers, officers could not see the man's hands and he refused to listen to police commands.

Officers used ballistic shields while approaching the 43-year-old and he was then detained without incident, Rogers said. Police found no handgun on the man's person or nearby. The 43-year-old was taken to a hospital for an evaluation and was cited for disorderly conduct.

Rogers defended his officers' approach, saying the 911 caller repeatedly emphasized that the 43-year-old appeared to have a gun. The caller later denied making any such claims to police, but dispatch records show otherwise. A recording of the 911 call is below.

Rogers said the 911 call directly impacted how police responded to the 43-year-old. Warrants for the 911 caller's arrest have now been issued. Police said the caller is wanted for inducing panic, making false alarms and obstructing official business.

"Preliminary administrative review of the incident indicates that officers acted appropriately and within department policy given the information they were provided by dispatch via 911 callers," Rogers said.