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They ordered everyone out of the house with their hands up before discovering that they'd been pranked, a resident said.
Police got another 911 call via the NYPD that appeared to come from the same house around 9 p.m. last Wednesday. This time, a suicidal man was threatening to slit his throat with a kitchen knife.
Bogus again, police said.
"With both calls, the voices appeared to have been disguised, according to the police dispatchers and officers involved," Fair Lawn Police Sgt. Brian Metzler said.
Detectives were trying to identify the source of the "swatting" calls, he said.
The homeowner -- who lives on an otherwise quiet street just off Route 208 -- expressed gratitude to police for having a gentler touch the second time while following the necessary protocols.
She's angry at the swatter, who she said created a situation that was "extremely traumatizing for my whole family" and "caused such sadness." She fears that a genuine emergency at the home could affect how responders consider it.
That is what swatting -- by design -- will do.
Last November, members of a Bergen County Regional SWAT unit joined Bergenfield police and officers from neighborhood towns at an unoccupied home where a claimed that he'd "shot everyone in the house."
Swatting exacts a toll on innocent residents, which is usually the intent. Often public figures and celebrities are the targets. Sometimes it's more an effort to tie up law enforcement, authorities said.
Deploying SWAT teams and additional personnel to unsuspecting victims’ homes and businesses really can put people in danger while diverting resources from potential areas of critical need, they say.
Swatting incidents peaked nationwide about five or six years ago before subsiding somewhat. They have since flared up again.
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