“It was insane. It’s something that’s straight out of a movie. I mean, this isn’t the neighborhood where we see things like that,” John Cruz said.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Police lights filled the 1700 block of Martin Luther Drive Monday night in Arlington after a false 911 call sent SWAT officers rushing into a neighborhood unaccustomed to that kind of chaos.
“It was insane. It’s something that’s straight out of a movie. I mean, it’s—this isn’t the neighborhood where we see things like that,” John Cruz said.
He and other neighbors watched as officers in tactical gear surrounded a home after a caller told dispatchers they had shot two people inside that address.
“Five to 10 minutes before they showed up, I was out here smoking a cigarette,” said Marvis L. He told WFAA that officers began asking him questions as they secured the block.
“They asked me, did he have any kids, young kids there? I said, ‘No, he stay by himself,” said Marivs.
Arlington police said the fake 911 call came in around 9:50 p.m. Monday. Officers set up a perimeter and used their PA system to order anyone inside to come out, but there was no response.
Eventually police knocked on Marvis’ front door to tell his family to evacuate. Officers sent them down the street for safety reasons after informing them that they had not gotten a response after from his neighbor.
“I told them myself, if he’s in the back, he probably can’t hear you,” Marvis said.
Homeowner Decory Diggins told WFAA through his attorney that he is not doing interviews at this time, but he showed a side window he says officers broke out before they came through his front door. Police found Diggins and his companion in the back family room watching TV before ordering them outside.
That put Diggin’s neighbors a little more at ease. Especially since they hardly ever see police on their street for emergencies like this.
“But it startled me. It really did, because I’ve never seen that amount of presence here in this neighborhood,” Cruz said.
Neighbors learned from Diggins that the full call out to SWAT to his house was part of someone’s prank. Police confirmed with WFAA that it was a Swatting call. It’s a fake emergency call meant to send police or a SWAT team to someone’s home or business.
Arlington police said swatting is not a joke and it’s not funny. The department said it can greatly impact victims who are unknowingly placed in situations where officers may surround or even enter their homes believing there is a critical emergency inside.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, about 1,000 swatting incidents occur nationwide each year, with each false report costing communities thousands of dollars in emergency response resources. The FBI has acknowledged a rise in these calls in recent years and launched a national database in 2023 to better track them, though the agency has not yet released an official annual total.
“Why do it? You wouldn’t want to do it to your family,” Marvis said.
He said he hopes whoever made the false call is caught and held accountable.
Great Job & the Team @ WFAA RSS Feed: news Source link for sharing this story.
