Swatting incident prompts police response to Bedford apartment complex

Halifax Regional Police responded to a swatting incident in Bedford early Monday.

Halifax Regional Police responded to a swatting incident in Bedford early Monday. At about 12:30 a.m., police said, they received a report from a man who identified himself as living in an apartment complex on River Lane in Bedford. The caller said he had shot his father and was holding his mother hostage at gunpoint.

Officers arrived at the apartment complex and evacuated nearby residents. Police said they then contacted the man’s parents and confirmed they were safe. The man who was believed to have made the initial report exited the apartment with no knowledge of the incident and co-operated with police.

He was released after it was determined he did not make the report. Further investigation determined the initial call was made from outside Canada and was a hoax. Police said this type of incident is known as swatting, which involves making a false report to police with the intent of prompting a significant police response.

“False reports like this tie up emergency responders and divert them away from others who may need help,” reads a news release from police. The RCMP assisted with the response, and Halifax Transit provided a bus to serve as a warming shelter for evacuees. The investigation is ongoing, and there have been no charges at this stage.