Three homes in the same Chesterfield County, Virginia, neighborhood were targeted by false emergency calls within six hours, sending armed police to residents’ doors and leaving homeowners shaken.
The incidents happened Tuesday around Alfaree Road and nearby Dermotte Court, according to WTVR.
Police said the calls were swatting incidents, a dangerous hoax where someone makes a fake emergency report to trigger a heavy police response at another person’s home.
The FBI says swatting is meant to draw law enforcement resources to an unsuspecting person’s location and can create confusion, panic, injury risk, and a dangerous drain on emergency services.
Police Rushed to the First Home Before Noon
The first call came just before noon, when officers swarmed a home off Alfaree Road after a caller falsely reported a homicide inside. Homeowner Robert Barker told WTVR he looked outside and saw an armed officer near his window before realizing police were surrounding the property.
Barker said officers ordered him outside with his hands up. He complied, lay flat on the ground, and was placed in handcuffs before police swept the home and determined the report was false.
He described seeing drones, shields, large police vehicles, and officers running outside his home.
Two More Homes Were Targeted Hours Later
Within the same hour, officers responded to a second home a few blocks away on Dermotte Court after another false report. The homeowner was not home at the time, but police later told her a false domestic report had prompted the response.
Around 6 p.m., officers returned to Alfaree Road after another false call targeted Barker’s neighbor. The homeowner said she was home alone when police ordered her outside. She was briefly handcuffed before officers determined there was no real emergency.
Officers Responded With Guns Drawn
WTVR reported that dozens of police cars filled the street during the third response, with officers surrounding the home with guns drawn. A neighbor who witnessed the third incident said police told him the caller had claimed someone inside the house was about to kill someone or had already killed someone.
Police said the caller stayed on the line with dispatchers until the homeowner walked outside. Officers were arriving as if a violent emergency was unfolding, while the people inside were simply at home with no warning.
Police Are Investigating Who Made the Calls
Chesterfield County Police said they are working to determine where the calls came from. Police spokesperson Paul Siddoway told WTVR that swatting calls are a national problem for law enforcement, though they remain relatively rare locally.
Siddoway said officers take every call seriously and are trained to read the situation and adapt as they assess what is happening.
Virginia law makes it a crime to knowingly report a false emergency communication that results in an emergency response. The offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor in the basic form, with felony charges possible if serious injury or death results.
Families Need a Plan for Police Contact at Home
The FBI advises people to discuss swatting with family members and have a plan in place in case law enforcement contacts them at home, at work, or at another location.
If police arrive after a false report, the FBI says victims should stay calm, listen to responding officers, and cooperate.
After the scene is cleared, homeowners should save doorbell video, security-camera clips, call logs, messages, online threats, usernames, emails, and any other information that could help investigators trace who made the call.
For families, the plan should be simple enough to remember under stress. Keep hands visible, follow officer commands, avoid sudden movements, and make sure children know not to run toward the door during a police response they do not understand.