Three incidents of suspected swatting in Albemarle County have occurred between Friday and Monday.
The Albemarle County Police Department is investigating the three false reports of a juvenile in suicidal crisis.
On Friday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 28, the Emergency Communications Center received reports of a suicidal juvenile in the 1200 block of Timberwood Boulevard. ACPD and career and volunteer units from Albemarle County Fire Rescue responded to the area and, after an investigation, found nothing on scene that matched information reported.
The latest incident occurred at approximately 9:40 a.m. this morning when a report came into ECC that there was an injured and suicidal juvenile in the 3300 block of Rodman Drive.
ACPD and ACFR again responded to the area and discovered that the report was unfounded.
Based on current evidence, ACPD is investigating these incidents as suspected swatting. Swatting is the criminal act of making fraudulent reports of serious criminal threats or violent situations with the specific intention of having law enforcement respond to a home or business of somebody who is not actually committing a crime or endangered.
“Swatting is an irresponsible act that poses significant risks to everybody involved and places an undue burden on law enforcement resources,” said ACPD Captain Darrell Byers, commander of the criminal investigations division. “As a community, we must condemn and address swatting with the seriousness it deserves and recognize the profound dangers it poses to public safety and community well-being.”
The ACPD reminds community members that under Virginia law, a fake report of an emergency in which there is emergency response could result in a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.
This is an active and ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to contact Albemarle County Police Department’s criminal investigations division at (434) 296-5807.
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Crystal Graham
