Cops burst into home after reported shooting, but ex-boyfriend made it up, Texas cops say

Police burst into a woman’s home in response to a reported shooting and hostage situation — but it was made up, Texas police said.

A man called police on Sept. 5, saying several people, including children, had been shot by a landlord at a Pleasanton home, according to a local police news release. He added that a woman and child were being held at gunpoint.

Local officers and state troopers rushed to help and arrived at the Fourth Street home within minutes, according to the release.

After formulating a rescue plan, officers burst into the residence. But police said they found nobody inside had been harmed.

Detectives determined that a 31-year-old Pleasanton man had made a fake report in order to “induce an emergency response to his ex-girlfriend’s residence,” the release said.

The man, who was at the scene when police arrived, was arrested. He was transported to a county jail and has been charged with false report swatting, police said.

Swatting is the act of making prank emergency calls in order to send police — usually SWAT teams — to specific locations, according to the FBI.

It can have serious consequences for unassuming victims, some of whom have suffered heart attacks, according to the agency.

Pleasanton is about 40 miles south of San Antonio.

This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Cops burst into home after reported shooting, but ex-boyfriend made it up, Texas cops say."