LACROSSE, Wis. — Police scrambled every available officer to the Emplify hospital on a report of a gunman in the emergency room. It was a false alarm — a “swatting,” police call it. The word “swatting” is recent law-enforcement lingo for diverting police with a false report. It’s also is an old criminal ploy to draw police attention away from a premeditated crime such a bank heist. The fake Emplify call was at 10:57 p.m. Most “swatting” these days is miscreant anti-police harassing. Police Chief Shawn Kudron promised an investigation. Swatting usually also involves the FBI because interstate communication networks are used.
