CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Three Chesterfield County homes in the same neighborhood were targeted by swatting incidents within six hours Tuesday, all stemming from false 911 calls.
The first call came just before noon. Officers swarmed a home off Alfaree Road after a caller falsely reported a homicide inside.
Homeowner Robert Barker said he was inside when he spotted armed officers outside his window.
"I look out like this and I just see someone walking around with a gun right here. I didn't really see a badge or anything, so my immediate response was to shut the door. But I thought he was going to shoot me through the house," Barker said.
Moments later, police ordered Barker outside with his hands up. He complied.
"I got right here and laid down flat and made sure I wasn't rebelling or anything, and then they cuffed me here and took me over there," Barker said. "I was freaked out, dude. Drones, shields, big vans people running out of."
That's when Barker learned why police were there.
"Somebody called the operator saying they heard a gun shot and apparently it was someone killing their mom," Barker said.
After sweeping the home, police determined the report was false.
Within the same hour, officers responded to a second home just a few blocks away off Dermotte Court. The homeowner said she was not home at the time, but police later told her a false domestic report had prompted the response.
Around 6 p.m. — just hours after the first call — police were back on Alfaree Road. Dozens of police cars filled the street, with officers surrounding another home with guns drawn. This time, the target was Barker's neighbor.
The homeowner said she was home alone when police ordered her outside. Just like Barker, she was placed in handcuffs before police determined the report was false.
A neighbor who witnessed the third incident said police described the call to him.
"They got a phone call saying, 'I'm a person in the house getting ready to kill somebody, or I have killed somebody,'" the neighbor said.
Police told him the caller stayed on the line with dispatchers until the homeowner walked outside.
Chesterfield County Police are investigating where the calls originated. Spokesperson Paul Siddoway said swatting calls are a national problem for law enforcement, but noted they remain relatively rare locally.
"Gratefully, they're not that common here. Most people understand the seriousness of using the 911 system and that it's for true emergencies. We act accordingly, and we take every call seriously. Our officers are trained to read the situation and adapt," Siddoway said.
Police say the investigation is ongoing and information remains limited. Siddoway said Virginia law is clear: any intentional false report would be a felony, and police will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.
