Police: Canandaigua Hostage Situation Was A “Swatting Call”

Photo: Maureen McHenry (Facebook/Canandaigua Chronicles)

Canandaigua Police, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, and New York State Police were called to a home on Pleasant Street in Canandaigua Thursday afternoon for the report of a possible hostage situation.

According to Cananadaigua Police, the nature of the details provided by the 9-1-1 caller resulted in a large police response. The hostage taker was described as being a “homicidal and suicidal person.”

An investigation revealed the incident was a false report that is commonly referred to as a “Swatting Call” which is the act of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. The matter was resolved at about 6:30 p.m.

The investigation will continue to determine the origin of the call.

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