On August 4th at 8:50 a.m., authorities received a call to attend to the residence located near SW 28th Court and SW 27th Street, according to police.
Miami Police Public Information Officer, Michael Vega, explained that upon receiving the call, all officers are immediately dispatched to the given address. In such situations, the officers remain highly alert, assuming that there might be an armed individual involved and the possibility of severe injuries.
Upon their arrival at the residence located near SW 28th Court and SW 27th Street, officers began knocking on doors and windows as part of their protocol. However, Vega reported that they did not receive any response during their attempts to make contact.
According to Vega, the officers were fearing the worst. They speculated that someone might be dead inside, or someone could be waiting to ambush them.
According to an incident report, the police peered through the windows of the supposedly unoccupied home and found no signs of disturbance. However, they had to use a ladder to look through the second-floor windows and had to remove the window screen to get a better view. Unfortunately, a piece of the screen broke off during the process.
According to Vega, as soon as they were sure that nobody was injured, they began to withdraw. However, just as they were about to leave, the victim unexpectedly appeared and inquired about the situation, saying, “What’s going on?”
According to the incident report, one of the owners reported to the officers that she had also been a target of a 911 prank call back in April, after returning home upon receiving motion alerts from her cameras.
When the first incident occurred, the police arrived while she and her husband were working remotely. The authorities had received a call about a man who had used a hammer to harm his mother.
According to the husband’s account, the police interrogated the couple while drawing their weapons. However, the situation was eventually resolved when the police realized that the couple had fallen victim to “swatting.”.
According to the woman’s husband, she has experienced nervous breakdowns since receiving the initial call.
He expressed his fear by stating, “Our home doesn’t provide us with a sense of safety.”
Authorities are actively seeking the individual responsible for making these threatening phone calls.
Vega explained that in situations where the victim is present upon their arrival, they have to take precautionary measures and take the person out at gunpoint. The victim is required to lay on the floor while they assess the situation to ensure everyone’s safety. He emphasized that they treat this procedure seriously and with the utmost care.
According to the police department, summoning a SWAT team can result in taxpayers having to shell out thousands of dollars. The Public Information Officer (PIO) further stated that the individual responsible for making such calls could be charged with a criminal offense, and may also have to pay for the resources utilized during the incident.
He issued a stern warning, “You will be identified and taken into custody.”