A New York City Police Department detective posting on Reddit has recounted a blunder by a criminal who gave emergency dispatchers his real details during a fake call.
The suspect phoned 911 to report a fictitious incident across New York City to divert law enforcement resources away from a major crime he was committing on the opposite side of town.
According to the officer, who posts under the username NY_67170, the scheme unravelled when the 911 operator asked the caller for his name and contact number. Instead of fabricating fake information, the caller gave his genuine name and telephone number to the dispatcher.
Writing on the online discussion platform, the detective swore that the account was entirely true and described the incident as the work of the most foolish criminal in his experience.
The New York City Police Department is the largest municipal police force in the United States, managing emergency responses across the city's five boroughs. Emergency 911 calls placed within the city are routed to central dispatch operators who log caller identification details and coordinate police units.
Search warrant standoff
The detective also recalled a separate embarrassing situation involving his unit during the execution of a search warrant at a residential property. Officers gathered outside the house when they overheard a rustling noise coming from behind the closed front door.
Believing the occupant might be armed and dangerous, the police team spent half an hour attempting to persuade the person inside to step out peacefully. The officers received no verbal reply despite repeated calls for communication.
When officers finally breached the property after 30 minutes of unsuccessful negotiation, they discovered a chicken walking calmly inside the entrance. The detective swore that from the other side of the door, the noise made by the bird sounded convincingly like a human being moving around.
Search warrants in New York State require judicial authorization based on probable cause, allowing law enforcement officers to enter private premises to search for evidence. Reddit, a social network founded in 2005, features thousands of forums where verified professionals and anonymous users share workplace experiences.
Previous law enforcement stories
Russian news outlet Lenta.ru highlighted the officer's posts, noting that senior detectives frequently share unusual investigations on the platform. The detective previously commented on the most unsettling case in his career, which involved a prosecution of a married stepbrother and stepsister.
