Reports of hostage situation in Rexburg neighborhood turned out to be false, police say

REXBURG — A large police response in a Rexburg neighborhood Friday turned out to be a hoax.

A news release from the Rexburg Police Department indicates multiple officers were sent to the Park Street area of the Henderson subdivision Friday for what was initially believed to be a hostage situation.

After investigating, detectives determined it was a fake “swatting” call.

“The area is safe and there is no threat to the public,” the department says.

911.gov defines swatting as falsely reporting an emergency for the intent of getting a “SWAT team” response to a location where no emergency exists. The caller will often report they are involved or are a witness to a home invasion, active shooter, or hostage situation. The goal is to muster the largest response possible.

“Often, the law enforcement response is substantial, with police confronting the unsuspecting victims at gunpoint, only to learn that there is no real emergency,” the agency says.

Assistant Police Chief Gary Hagen tells EastIdahoNews.com those who make these calls are often upset with another person or just think it’s funny to prank police and see a large response at somebody’s home.

“Nationwide, there have been officer-involved shootings and deaths over (these kinds of calls),” Hagen says. “It’s such a dangerous thing to do.”

The investigation into Friday’s response is ongoing and as of Saturday afternoon, the person responsible for making the false report has not been identified.

“It’s super hard to find out who’s doing these kinds of things,” Hagen says, explaining that calls like this can be made through gaming systems and other devices.

This is the first occurrence of a swatting call in years. Hagen said he is reluctant to draw too much attention to it because he doesn’t want to see these kinds of calls increase. Diverting police from an actual emergency could have negative consequences.

Although there is already a state law against false reports of bombs or explosives, anti-swatting legislation is still in development. Senate Bill 1343 aims to make it a misdemeanor crime with a penalty of up to $5,000 and one year in jail.

“The crime would be a felony with up to $25,000 in fines and five years in prison if such a report causes over $1,000 in damages, or great bodily harm or disability to a person; or up to ten years in prison if the false report causes the death of any person,” Idaho Reports says in a January 2025 article.

The post Reports of hostage situation in Rexburg neighborhood turned out to be false, police say appeared first on East Idaho News.