By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer

The Richmond Indiana Police Department blocked off the area surrounding the 700 block of East Main Street for nearly four hours, Tuesday, June 24 when it received a call just after 5 p.m. from a male who claimed he was holding five Jewish hostages, was armed with firearms and explosives, and had already killed a hostage.

The caller told police he was located in the 700 block of East Main Street in Richmond. At 9 p.m., the police department issued a statement that the situation had been resolved, followed by press release that it had determined the call to be a hoax, even as officers continued clearing the area to ensure public safety.

As Richmond police began securing the area, it was “quickly joined by Wayne County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police, and Richmond Fire Department, which deployed a doctor-equipped ambulance,” according to the press release. The department’s SWAT and drone teams were also on the scene. Negotiators with Wayne County Emergency Communications established contact with the caller.

“Out of an abundance of caution, nearby buildings were cleared with the help of the Randolph County SWAT Team,” the press release stated. “During the course of the incident, investigators became aware of a live webcam feed in the area. After that feed was terminated, communications with the caller noticeably changed.”

The Richmond Police Department describes a swatting incident as a criminal hoax in which someone falsely reports a violent emergency to prompt a massive police response. “These incidents not only waste valuable resources but also put lives at risk.”

Richmond Police Chief Kyle Weatherly said in the press release, “Whether you’re across the street or hiding behind a computer halfway across the country, if you threaten Richmond, we’re coming for you.”

Rebecca Wartell was driving her son from a dentist appointment to football practice at about 5:15 that afternoon when she saw traffic was diverted from Richmond’s downtown area.

“I was curious what was happening to cause the large police presence, but didn’t think much about it,” she said. Wartell is a member of Beth Boruk Temple, Richmond’s Reform congregation. She’s about to begin her second year as assistant professor and chair in Jewish studies at Earlham College in Richmond.

“Later, I saw the RPD statement about the incident on Facebook, and I was especially shocked when I saw references to Jewish hostages and the claim that one had been killed,” she told The Observer.

“I became concerned because the incident was not only a swatting crime, which wastes police time and resources, but had an anti-Jewish aspect to it in a town with a very small Jewish community.”

The Richmond swatting incident occurred little more than three weeks after the firebombing of Run for Their Lives participants in Boulder, Colo., in which 15 people were injured while rallying to increase awareness about the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. The man who allegedly threw two Molotov cocktails at the group shouted “free Palestine” as he threw one of them.

Wartell is originally from Boulder. “Nearly all of the victims of the Boulder attack are members of the congregation we belonged to while we lived there,” she said. “My family has been in Colorado for five generations, so that incident hit especially hard. I am sorry to see this recent rise of antisemitism in communities close to home and appreciate all of the support from our friends and allies in hopes for more peaceful times ahead.”

Weatherly added that the department is forwarding all information gathered from the incident to the FBI. The incident remains under active investigation.

“Make no mistake, what happened today was not a joke,” the chief said. “It was a calculated and dangerous disruption, and we responded with speed, coordination, and professionalism. The Richmond Police Department treats every single call for service as if it’s real, because protecting our community is not something we take lightly.”

Richmond, Ind. is 50 miles west of Dayton, just across the Ohio border. The Observer estimates Richmond’s Jewish community at about 45 households.