Shawnee Police are investigating following an apparent swatting call at a home near Johnson and Greenwood drives on Sunday afternoon. That intersection is immediately east of Broken Arrow Elementary. Swatting is when someone calls emergency services and falsely reports an emergency, which is meant to result in a significant response from police and other first responders. In an emailed response to questions, Shawnee Public Safety Information Officer Emily Rittman told the Post that police, firefighters and Johnson County Med-Act were called to a falsely reported shooting in the 5900 block of Greenwood Drive at about 2:20 p.m. According to recorded radio traffic, firefighters and paramedics were told to stage away from the address until police could confirm the scene was safe for them to enter. “When officers and first responders arrived, they discovered no one was injured,” Rittman said in her email. The fire and Med-Act units were told they could cancel their response just after 2:45 p.m. The emergency response caused a temporary closure of Johnson Drive between Alden Street and Mullen Road. “False reporting is a dangerous and illegal act that puts lives at risk,” Rittman said. “We want to remind our community that these actions have serious consequences, both legally and personally.” Police continue to investigate and have not said if they’ve been able to identify the person who made the false 911 call. No other details were immediately available.
Source: Johnson County Post
