False Emergency Report Draws SWAT Response at Beverly Hills Peninsula Hotel

Authorities responded to the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills after a report of a disturbance in one of the rooms that police said appears to be a "swatting-type" call.

Swatting involves placing a hoax call to law enforcement in an attempt to prompt an emergency response. Beverly Hills police said they received a call from a man who said he armed men refused to let him leave his room.

There was no evidence of criminal activity at the hotel Thursday morning, police said.

"The preliminary investigation determined that the information provided by the 911 caller was in fact baseless," Beverly Hillls police said in a statement.
"The caller was not being held against his will and there were no armed suspects inside the hotel. The incident is now being investigated as a Report of a False Emergency."

No evacuations were ordered, but nearby streets were closed for police activity in the 9800 block of South Santa Monica Boulevard. SWAT members and police vehicles could be seen outside the hotel, which has about 200 rooms and private villas nestled in the heart of Beverly Hills. 

Calling in a false emergency is a misdemeanor or felony crime, depending on the circumstances.

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