Taunton ‘swatting’ call prompts police investigation

Taunton police are investigating after a man called 911 Thursday to falsely claim he had killed his girlfriend and was about to harm himself. 

Taunton police said they were “actively investigating” after a “large police request was summoned by a hoax 911 call” around 3 p.m. Thursday.

After the call, police, fire, and other emergency medical personnel descended on Williams Street, along with mutual aid from various southeastern Massachusetts departments. Four nearby residences were also evacuated as a precaution, police said.

But when emergency responders arrived, no one was in the home. Police called the person who lives at the address, and they were unaware of any out-of-the-ordinary activity. 

“Police soon determined that the call was a hoax and that no one was harmed inside the home,” police said in a press release.

After a sweep of the area, investigators said the residents could return home after about two hours. 

Cops are now investigating the incident as an act of “swatting,” which is when a person makes a prank call to 911 or other emergency services in the hopes a large number of armed officers will respond to the call. 

“Swatting is an extremely dangerous practice that misallocates and ties up vital police and emergency resources, pulling them away from where they may be needed to aid in a real emergency,” Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh said. 

No one was hurt in Thursday’s incident. 

Swatting has been recognized as a criminal phenomenon by the FBI since 2008, according to local police.

Morgan Rousseau

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.

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