A Bridgeport woman has been arrested by the Bridgeport Police for a swatting incident that led to a rapid response by the department’s Emergency Service Unit. 

Dorothy Smith, 34 years-old, turned herself in on Thursday morning on a felony warrant. She was charged with Falsely Reporting an Incident in the First Degree.

Smith called 911 in the early morning hours on June 27th, 2024, pretending to be another female. She then falsely reported that her and her family  were being held hostage at gunpoint in a house on Highland Ave. by her boyfriend. Smith also falsely reported her boyfriend had just beaten her  with a gun. She said she was making the call while she was locked in a bathroom.  Smith also said her boyfriend was a fugitive.

Smith’s 911 call triggered a high level tactical response by the department’s Patrol Division and Emergency Service Unit , as well as medics.

The female Smith was impersonating was subsequently found by officers to be safe in the house with her family, which included small children. She stated she did not call 911.

Officers did locate 27 year-old Juwaun Terry at the house. He was illegally in possession of a gun. and was found to have escaped from a Department of Corrections halfway house in New Haven earlier in June. Terry was taken into custody on those charges. 

The investigation found Terry had been in a relationship with both Smith and the woman on Highland Ave.

Smith made the call from a cell phone number assigned to her. The call was made from a location other than Highland Ave.

Smith had a bond of $75,000.

Swatting involves a person falsely reporting information to law enforcement that leads to a (special weapons and tactical -SWAT) response. Such responses can create unwarranted danger for citizens and officers.