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WEST JORDAN — Investigators are trying to get to the bottom of a fake 911 call that led to a significant emergency response in West Jordan on Monday.
"When something like this comes out, our officers are going to drop what they're doing to come investigate this and help out," said West Jordan Police Sgt. Andrew Hercules. "It's a big drain on our resources."
On Monday, just after 1 p.m., dispatchers got a call of an active shooting at a home located near Hidden Peak Drive and Wasatch Peak Circle. Hercules said the caller stated multiple people were hurt.
"Whatever information that did come across and was dispatched to the officers that responded made them all believe that this was real, and this was very serious," Hercules said.
About 30 police, fire, and medical personnel quickly converged on the neighborhood, not knowing how many victims were inside the home or if the situation would lead to a standoff.
Hercules said as they were getting into a tactical position to secure the home, investigators were able to get ahold of the homeowner by phone, who stated no shooting had occurred in the house and everyone was OK.
"I know they made contact with the homeowners who allowed them to clear the house and make sure nothing was going on. The homeowners were not aware that this call had come out or any details regarding this," Hercules said.
In February, the same home was targeted with another fake 911 call. Hercules couldn't go into details about the call but said investigators are trying to determine if it's the same caller and why they're targeting the family or house.
He said each call has prompted a response that takes away resources in the city.
"It's a big drain on our resources; we have officers that are assigned to multiple areas in the city who have different assignments they're trying to accomplish, and when something like this comes out, our officers are going to drop what they're doing to come to investigate this and help out," he said.
Hercules said the family that has been targeted by these fake 911 calls is cooperating in the investigation. He said if investigators can find the caller, they could face misdemeanor, possibly even felony charges.
"In a city where we do have calls coming in and people requesting police assistance, it takes away from our ability to come and help people out," he said.
