Arrest after false "officer down" report on police radio
GARY, Ind. - A woman was arrested after authorities say an officer's dispatch radio was used to falsely report an "officer down," reports CBS Chicago.
Police in Gary, Indiana received the alarming notification at around 1:50 a.m. Wednesday from a woman who identified herself as a fellow officer, according to the station.
Officers responded to the scene and conducted a roll call of on-duty officers to make sure all were safe. Officers then located an empty squad car parked at the station with a broken window and its dispatch radio on. A short time later, officers arrested a woman who was seen near the car earlier, reports the station. She hadn't been charged as of Wednesday.
Gary police spokeswoman Lt. Dawn Westerfield says the situation prompted a huge police response and triggered memories of a real "officer down" call the department received just over a year ago.
On July 6, 2014, Westerfield's husband Jeffrey, a patrolman for the department, was fatally shot in his police car after responding to a domestic disturbance call. Carl Le'Ellis Blount has pleaded not guilty to Westfield's murder and is awaiting trial.