Hamilton police investigating bomb hoax as swatting incident

Hamilton police say a bomb threat at an Ancaster residence Tuesday night was a swatting incident - a hoax where someone deliberately sends police to someone's home.

The incident began shortly after 10:15 p.m. Aug. 17 when police received a call to the front desk at central station where a suspect claimed to have a bomb, said Const. Indy Bharaj. The suspect gave an address in Ancaster.

Police acted quickly, setting up a staging area at Rousseau Elementary School on McNiven Road, south of Mohawk Road, near the home where the bomb was reported.

Police then made contact with one of the residents who told police no such phone calls were made from the house, Bharaj said. Officers then went into the home to make sure everyone was safe.

People in the home told police they had no idea who could have made the call or why.

Detectives from the Mountain criminal investigations branch are now investigating the incident as a swatting.

The scene was cleared shortly before midnight.

Swatting incidents often involve threats of violence to elicits a larger police response, including tactical officers. In documented cases, primarily in the United States, it has been used as criminal harassment targeting particular victims. It is also a way to tie up significant police resources.

In this case police do no know whether the crime was targeted or random. The investigation is ongoing.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com