Some Oklahoma cops have been suspended for falsely telling dispatchers that a baby had been tossed from a car window as part of a twisted April Fools’ prank, according to reports.
Heart-pounding radio clips captured the moment the alarmed dispatchers scrambled over the phony claims, which began when an Oklahoma City Police Department officer reported that cops were in the middle of a pursuit around 9:30 p.m. April 1.
Dispatchers tracked the cop – who was reportedly sending updates through a department messaging system while claiming their radio wasn’t working – as the gross story unfolded.
“Delta 13 just advised that they threw a baby out the window at 36th and Robinson,” a dispatcher says, relaying the officer’s report.
An Oklahoma Highway Patrol dispatcher then jumps in, “Can we see if they need our assistance?”
Another OHP dispatcher can then be heard saying, “Be advised, the police officer that’s in pursuit does not have a radio on him, he’s just messaging his location,” according to a radio dispatch clip obtained by local news outlet KFOR.
The situation escalated when another Oklahoma City police officer was said to have joined the chase.
“There’s two units in it now,” a department dispatcher announced over the radio.
Then the dispatchers noted that the second officer’s radio also seemed to be down.
“I have 13 and 39 messaging me, I don’t think their radios are working,” the police dispatcher said.
The sick joke didn’t stop there, when another shocking claim sent over the air.
“He supposedly ran over a transient,” an OHP messenger said over the radio, although it’s unclear who was being referred to.
That’s when Oklahoma City firefighters headed to the rescue.
“Engine 19, respond to man down, at 3200 South Robinson Avenue,” a fire department dispatcher said over its radio system, according to KFOR.
Meanwhile, a desperate police dispatcher asked whether anyone had received an update – or even knew what kind of vehicle the officers were supposedly chasing.
The chaos finally came to a halt when a police supervisor stepped in, announcing over the air, “We can terminate this pursuit.”
Moments later, another dispatcher relayed the stunning truth: “It was an April Fools’ prank.”
“Not funny,” one dispatcher can be heard saying, to which another agrees: “That’s what I’m saying.”
The Oklahoma City Police Department declined to say how many officers were involved.
“We are aware of a reported pursuit involving some of our officers that included serious claims, which has since been determined to be false,” the department told The Post in a statement. “We take this situation seriously and are committed to ensuring a thorough review is conducted.”
KFOR reported that all cops involved were placed on administrative leave.
The misuse of 911 is a misdemeanor under Sooner State law and can carry a $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail, lawyer Noble McIntyre told the outlet.
But in this case, “it’s bigger than that,” McIntyre noted.
“It’s the trust in the department.”
