The RCMP’s Vancouver Island Emergency Response Team responded to what they believe was a false complaint of a hostage taking in the Simms Creek area of Campbell River Friday.
The team, in conjunction with other RCMP detachments, as well as the police dog services and ambulance responded immediately on Friday afternoon and secured the area of the complaint, shutting the highway down and evacuating the neighbours. It was then the complaint was determined to be false.
“The police believe this is a ‘swatting’ incident; however the investigation is continuing,” Sgt Terry Deley, Uniform Division Commander of the Campbell River RCMP, said Friday.
Swatting is the action or practice of making a prank call to emergency services in order to have a swat team dispatched to a particular address as a joke.