WATERVILLE, Maine — Police are searching for a man who allegedly falsified a shooting report on Thursday afternoon, according to Deputy Chief Charles Rumsey.
Shortly before 1:30 p.m., a man had contacted Waterville police stating a friend of his had been shot on Norman Avenue, according to Rumsey.
The call prompted a full response from Waterville police, along with the city’s EMS crews, the deputy chief said.
When police asked the caller where the victim was, he “became a bit evasive about details” and changed his story a little bit, Rumsey explained.
The caller also said the victim had been transported to a hospital, leading police to ask area hospitals if a shooting victim was being treated.
After being questioned by police, the caller hung up the phone, Rumsey said. The case has been turned over to Waterville detectives to determine the caller’s identity.
“We now believe it was a person calling to intentionally deceive us,” Rumsey said.
The deputy chief said the case is no laughing matter and false police reports are taken very seriously and can be dangerous.
“It was dangerous and uncool and we are looking to identify the person and if we identify the person they’ll be criminally charged,” Rumsey said. “It ties up all those resources.”
If identified, the caller will face a charge of filing a false public alarm or report, Rumsey said.
