Hartland resident says heavy police response was due to "swatting" call

 

HARTLAND, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A scary situation in Hartland Tuesday afternoon is being blamed on a false report. 

Around 2:30 p.m. police were called to a home on Ridgeway Drive across the street from Hartland Elementary South. Authorities blocked off roads surrounding the school and the school was put on lockdown. About 15 minutes later, parents were notified the lockdown was lifted and students were dismissed as normal. Neighbors in the area say they saw police in the back of an apartment building in tactical gear with guns, helmets, and shields. He says they were shouting to someone in the building. 

According to Hartland Police, the incident which was reported as a "life-threatening critical incident," appears to have been a hoax and never happened. 

CBS 58 spoke to Joel Iverson, the resident of the home where police were sent, who says someone called Hartland Police pretending to be their son and told authorities their son killed his mother and was going to hurt himself. The homeowner says a SWAT team then stormed into their home. The family says they had no idea what was going on and investigators quickly realized it was an incident of "swatting" or a prank. 

Iverson tells CBS 58 their son was in school when the situation happened. 

Police say there is no danger to the community and they are still investigating.