Official: Teen called in ‘Swatted’ prank on himself

UPDATE @ 3:15 p.m.

Authorities said the teenager who was in the home was the one who called in the false report.

The teenager is expected to be charged with inducing panic and making false alarms.

Investigators would not comment as to why the teen made the false report.

EARLIER

A SWAT standoff Wednesday morning in the 10,000 block of Eby Road near Germantown ended with a teenager being taken into custody, and authorities said the incident was a prank.

WHIO’s Adam Marshall and Jessica Heffner have confirmed with authorities that the incident is the result of a prank.

A man claiming to be the suspect’s father called the WHIO radio newsroom and reported that his son was “Swatted,” a practice in which someone falsely reports that police need to respond to a serious situation at someone else’s home.

According to Germantown Police Chief Joseph Andzik, this was a hoax and the 16-year-old boy involved had no knowledge of it.

The 9-1-1 caller told the dispatcher that he just shot his girlfriend and had his parents or grandparents held hostage, according to Andzik.

Multiple police and sheriff’s agencies were dispatched, including at least 30 law enforcers from Germantown, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Eaton and Riverside police.

The MCSO SWAT team attempted to make contact with the grandparents, believed to be held against their will. According to Andzik, they told the officers they were not at the home.

The teen’s grandparents subsequently showed up at the home and made contact with the boy. He came out willingly and told them he had no idea what was going on.

Andzik said another teen is suspected of making the call, and the sheriff’s office is working to track down the individual who made the initial call. He said, at least, that person will likely be charged with inducing panic and making false claims.

The standoff began with a call to police around 8:45 a.m. The male caller claimed to have shot his girlfriend and have his parents tied up, according to the initial dispatch record.

Montgomery and Warren County deputies responded and quickly shut down Eby Road near Ohio 4.

Multiple officers were observed with rifles in hand as our crews arrived on scene.

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