A Canadian man is accused of making dozens of swatting calls to a Florida sheriff’s office over a two-month period, officials said.
William Tackett, 20, of Sault Ste., Florida, was charged with three counts of public mischief and three counts of giving false information for falsely reporting a crime. was indicted for. Marie, Ont., police made the announcement Friday.
Tackett was accused of making phone calls about school shooting threats and hostage situations that were ultimately determined to be fake.
Swatting involves someone calling a target’s home a false police report for a violent crime, such as a murder, hostage situation, or other crime that requires a stronger law enforcement response. The purpose of the false police report is to prompt the SWAT team to respond to the target’s home. These rumors are illegal and can be deadly.
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William Tackett, 20, was charged with three counts of public mischief and three counts of transmitting false information. (Sault Ste Marie Police Department)
Authorities said Tackett called the sheriff’s office around 4 p.m. on February 16 and claimed he was driving to a local school with a gun to shoot students and staff. Deputies responded to the threat and after a thorough investigation determined there was no immediate threat to public safety.
The next morning, around 5:30 a.m., Tackett called the sheriff’s office again and told them he was holding the victim hostage at gunpoint at a residence in Ocala, Florida. Law enforcement responded to the scene and secured the residence, determining that everyone in the home was safe and no one was taken hostage.
On March 18, the Sheriff’s Office contacted Sault Ste. Regarding the call from Marie Police.
As a result of a joint investigation involving both agencies, authorities determined that Tackett made dozens of false reports to the sheriff’s office regarding persons in the jurisdiction known to him.
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Detectives from Sault Ste. Marie Police Department Investigative Services Division arrested Tackett at his home.
William Tackett is accused of falsely reporting a crime to the Marion County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office. (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
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Tackett was held in custody pending a bail hearing and has now been released. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 22nd.
Since Christmas, Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Republican Rep. Brandon Williams of New York and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, and Secretary of State Democratic Party of Maine There have been multiple swapping incidents targeting public servants from the Republican and Democratic parties in the United States. The state of Shena Bellows.
