Perry Police Investigate Prank 911 Call That Reported A Hostage Situation

PERRY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT)- A reported hostage situation on Georgia Avenue in Perry turns out to be a prank 911 call.  Now, Perry Police need your help to find the person who called it in. According to the Perry Police Department, someone called 911 using a third party telecommunication service Tuesday evening.  It’s a service used for the hearing impaired to send a text message just in case of an emergency.

The police department received a call in reference to an individual that shot his daughter. The emergency call turned out to be a prank phone call.  Police believe the caller was swatting.  Swatting occurs when a prank call seems so serious that it provokes a swat team response.  Residents say while the prankster might find the call to be funny, it’s no laughing matter for the people involved.

“I’m proud of Perry Police for being so responsive to anything regardless of whether it was a prank or not…very responsive… very concerned about the neighborhood and the people in it.  It’s sad that someone thinks making a prank call is funny,” said Jennifer Miller.  

Police say they are actively investigating this case. If someone is caught making prank phone calls to police, they could be charged with false report of a crime.