COCOA BEACH — Health First Cape Canaveral Hospital was placed on temporary lockdown Saturday night, drawing fierce police presence at the facility after officials later determined it was a swatting call.
No arrests have been reported.
A “swatting call” is a hoax call to the authorities about a serious emergency. The call came after 7pm, prompting several Cocoa Beach Police Patrol personnel to search hospitals for potential threats as a precaution.
No evacuation was carried out. Residents were asked to avoid the area during police operations. Investigators later determined that the incident was the result of someone making a swatting call.
“The response between law enforcement and our security team was quick and brought about an immediate lockdown of our facilities,” said Lance Skelly of Health First Spokesserson.
All clears will be issued around 8:50pm and an investigation into who called is underway.
JD Gallop is Florida’s criminal justice/broken news reporter today. Please contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X, formerly known as Twitter: @jdgallop.
