A person, possibly suffering from mental health issues, made a false report to police Thursday that there was a shooter in the Mendenhall Valley, an act that sparked a response from police and buzz on social media.
Juneau Police Department spokesman Lt. David Campbell said dispatchers received a call at 12:14 p.m. from a 25-year-old man residing in the Slim Williams Way and Arctic Circle neighborhood near Skaters Cabin. The caller said he saw a shooter behind his home, holding a woman hostage.
“What he reported didn’t happen,” Campbell said in a phone interview.
He added that the caller has made similar calls in the past, and the calls could be tied to a mental health issue.
“Just to be cautious we have to respond as though something is happening,” Campbell said.
Responding officers spoke with neighbors, told residents to stay in their homes as they searched the area, and spoke with the caller before realizing it was a false alarm. Several neighbors told the Empire that they did not hear shots and the police activity didn’t last long.
Photos on Juneau Community Collective’s Facebook page, which have since been deleted, showed police officers in SWAT gear walking past homes on Arctic Circle. Campbell said JPD’s SWAT team did not respond, but that several detectives who responded just happened to be part of the SWAT team.
Members of the Community Collective page expressed concern on a thread about the shooting/hostage situation, writing that it was creating more worry than answering questions. That thread has since been deleted, too.
Police did not arrest the caller on the scene. Campbell said police are going to try to give him assistance with any issues he may be experiencing.
• Contact reporter Paula Ann Solis at 523-2272 or paula.solis@juneauempire.com.
Related stories:
Woman dies in boating accident near Elfin Cove, 10-year-old in hospital
Juneau police chase, captures suspect in latest burglary downtown
Planning Commission gives Native culture center the go ahead
