Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills possible victim of SWATting
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Several police cars and a SWAT team descended on the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills early Thursday following what turned out to be a false report of a hostage situation, CBS Los Angeles reports. Police later reopened Santa Monica Boulevard, where the hotel is located, to traffic, and an all-clear was called on the possible "SWATting" situation.
SWATting is the practice of making a prank call to 911 to draw a SWAT team response.
Beverly Hills police said they received a call at about 6:30 a.m. from a man who said he was staying at the hotel and armed men would not let him leave his room.
Patrol cars and a SWAT vehicle surrounded the area. Crisis negotiators and investigators also responded to the scene.
Police tried to make contact with the caller again, but after clearing the hotel, nothing was found.
According to Beverly Hills police, the preliminary investigation determined the information provided by the 911 caller was baseless, he was not being held against his will, and there were no armed suspects inside the hotel.
The incident is now being investigated as a "report of a false emergency," police said.