GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Scott County Sheriff's Department is investigating what they're calling a swatting incident. Someone tried to trick the police into thinking someone had been shot.
Monday night, Scott County Dispatch received a call. "uhhh, I just shot my Mom," a male voice on the phone said. "Where are you?" a dispatcher asked.
Sheriff's deputies, EMT's and other emergency teams raced to Brant Court, treating the incident as an active shooting situation.
"Why'd you shoot your Mom?" the dispatcher continued. "She annoys me, she tried to hit me," the male voice answered.
But the sheriff's office says their dispatch team quickly realized something was off about the call and deputies on the scene realized it was a swatting incident. They say no one was shot or even in danger.
"Swatting comes from a term where people call and say there's a violent crime taking place, hoping that police will use their SWAT team or tactical officers to come and kick in a door and abruptly interrupt whoever's in the house when there's no crime going on," Sgt. Eddie Hart, with the Scott County Sheriff's Department, said.
Sgt. Hart says Monday night, neighbors helped deputies get in touch with the people inside the home and told them how to walk outside in a way in which no one would get hurt. The department says the phone number that was used to make the call was disguised.
"A teacher in a school, could it be a student, could it be a neighbor, we don't know. We're going to try to pursue that and figure that out. Technology is great but it also can be used to make and it can put several layers and put a lot of hurdles in our way to figure this out," Sgt. Hart said.
From there, the department will decide what charges will be filed.
