The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a false report of a shooting and hostage situation. The Sheriff’s Office received a call Thursday afternoon from a man who said he had shot a person and taken hostages at a residence between Beaver Dam and Columbus. A portion of Highway 151 was closed and the SWAT team was called, made contact with the homeowner and quickly confirmed it was a hoax. Sheriff Dale Schmidt says the “ Swatting” incident is under investigation to find the person responsible. Schmidt says these types of incidents are not only illegal, but they are dangerous and will not be tolerated. “Not only do they put the motoring public in danger as our emergency responders are forced to respond in emergency mode to these incidents, but the resources that are pulled away from other areas of the county can limit the ability to respond to other emergencies,” Schmidt said. “In fact, shortly after this incident was resolved, the sheriff’s office responded to Fox Lake for a report of subjects who had fallen through the ice on the lake. Had our deputies still been tied up on the SWATTING call, it is quite possible that our deputies would not have been able to respond as quickly to that incident and lives could have been put further in jeopardy.”
