CMPD, SWAT team swarm Cotswold neighborhood after prank call, source says

CHARLOTTE — Authorities are investigating what a source tells Channel 9 was a prank call in Cotswold on Sunday.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers and a SWAT team swarmed Silabert Avenue near North Sharon Amity Road around 4 p.m.

Sources told Channel 9 it all stemmed from a prank phone call.

Video shows a large police presence in the area with officers carrying long guns.

Channel 9 is asking police if any charges will be filed.

This kind of call is also known as “swatting” -- it’s when someone reports a fake threat at a real address. The FBI says these calls waste resources, put the public in danger and can even turn deadly.

Anyone who posts or sends these threats can receive up to five years in federal prison, or they can face state or local charges.

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