GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — A 911 call about an active shooter sent Grand Rapids Police officers to the Happy Cat Café over the weekend. When they arrived, there was no emergency.
Instead, they found unsuspecting cats and customers.
"We don't appreciate that, like, the police have enough on their hands," said Happy Cat Cafe's General Manager Anthony Quartro. "They don't need to be wasting their resources on prank calls."
It turns out The Happy Cat Café was the victim of "swatting," an illegal type of prank that alerts dispatchers of an emergency situation, triggering a heavy police response.
"At the time of the alleged call... a family was having a birthday party for their 10-year-old here," said Quarto. "We have no idea where that call came from or who decided to take that upon themselves that day."
GRPD Captain PJ Baker said The Holiday Inn in downtown Grand Rapids also had a swatting incident over the weekend.
"When the officers are arriving on scene, they're very quickly gonna try and ascertain as much information as possible," said Captain Baker. "They do that both from what they see here, what they're sensing as they get there, but also making contact with the businesses, the customers as they come and go."
Although no one has been charged in the two incidents, Captain Baker said they'll work to find out whoever's responsible. Calls like these can be very costly.
"It causes officers to have to respond from all over the city on our surface streets," said Captain Baker. "It actually scares the pedestrians, the folks at the business, as well as the business owners and management themselves. It creates a lot of confusion then throughout city once it spreads to social media and things like that."
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