A hostage scam was pulled off on Main Street in Richmond on Tuesday night, and police are looking into it.
The Richmond Police Department got a disturbing call around 5 p.m. from an unknown man, according to a press release. The person on the call said he had five Jewish people in the 700 block of Main Street as hostages.
The person who called also said he had guns and bombs with him. During the call, the person said he had already killed a hostage.
As soon as the RPD got the call, they swarmed the 700 block of Main Street and, with the help of a Randolph County special weapons and tactics (SWAT) team, got everyone out of there. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Richmond Fire Department also helped at the scene.
At the scene, there was also an ambulance with a doctor inside, as well as SWAT and drone teams from Richmond PD. The caller was reached by negotiators through the Wayne County Emergency Communications office.
As things went on, the cops learned that there was a live webcam feed in the area. In the end, officials turned off the feed.
RPD says that communication with the caller changed dramatically after the feed was cut off. In the end, RPD found that the call and the supposed hostage scenario were all part of a hoax.
The police called what happened a “swatting incident.” RPD said that swatting events are a “criminal hoax” in which someone lies about a violent emergency to get a lot of police to come.
Governor Mike Braun of Indiana signed Senate Bill 198 earlier this year. This law makes it more serious for people to swat. Under SB 198, hitting someone with a bat is a Level 6 Felony.
A Level 6 Felony in Indiana can get you up to two and a half years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
“What happened today wasn’t just a joke; it was a dangerous and planned act,” RPD Chief Kyle Weatherly said in a statement. It was easy for us to react quickly, thoroughly, and professionally because our department, nearby agencies, and emergency services all worked together so well. If you make threats against our group, we will find you and hold you responsible, no matter where you are in the world.
In its press statement, the RPD did not name the person they thought made the call that led to the SWAT response on Tuesday night. Right now, it’s not clear if the cops have been able to find the person who did what they did.
RPD said on Facebook that the SWAT situation on Tuesday went on for more than three hours. According to the police, the problem wasn’t fixed until around 9 p.m.
RPD wants anyone who knows anything about the swatting event on Tuesday to call them at (765) 983-7247.
