Crime & Safety
'Swatter' Nabbed: Madison Police Arrest Teen for Hoax 911 Call
The juvenile arrest stems from an investigation into three separate incidents earlier this year, which involved a caller contacting police and falsely claiming a violent crime was being committed at a residence in Madison.
The following is a Madison Police press release shared via
Madison 911 Emergency Communications Center's Facebook page.
On April 1, 2014 members of the Madison Police Criminal Investigative Division arrested a juvenile for the following violations:
• Connecticut General Statutes §53a-180: Falsely Reporting an Incident (three (3) counts); and
• Connecticut General Statutes §53a-183: Harassment in the Second Degree (three (3) counts).
This arrest is the result of an investigation into three (3) separate incidents between January 5 and January 23, wherein a caller contacted the Madison Police Department (via Madison 911 Emergency Communications Center) stating that a violent crime was being committed at a residence in Madison, Connecticut precipitating a heavy law enforcement response.
After a lengthy investigation and numerous search & seizure warrants for telephone and internet records, the caller was identified as a juvenile from Long Island.
Such criminal activity is known as “swatting.”
According to the FBI ’swatting’ is making a hoax call to 9-1-1 to draw a response from law enforcement, usually a SWAT team.
The individuals who engage in this activity use technology to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim’s phone.
Sometimes swatting is done for revenge, sometimes as a prank.
Swatting is a very serious crime and places police officers and the public in a dangerous situation.
The juvenile appeared at New Haven Juvenile Court on April 1, 2014.
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