Law roundup: Police may have been target of swatting attempt

The Kalispell Police Department SWAT team reportedly responded to what appeared to be a “swatting” incident after receiving a call March 9 from a man who refused to give his name and sounded in distress. The man allegedly said he had an AR-15 and was going to kill his family and police before hanging up. Officers made contact with one occupant and determined the report was unfounded unless further information was obtained. Swatting is a criminal act when someone makes a false report of an ongoing crime in order to hoax dispatchers into sending police and other emergency units to a location.

Someone clad in plaid PJs was seen driving a small white pickup and reportedly almost hit pedestrians before parking and walking into a store.

An uncooperative man allegedly involved in a theft threatened to punch a man and took off running, dodging and weaving between vehicles in the parking lot and headed toward the highway. What was initially designated as a report of theft was changed to a “robbery.” He was taken to jail.