Crime & Safety

UPDATE: Accidental 'Pocket Dial,' Misunderstanding Triggered False Alarm Hostage Situation

Husband's unintentional call, a song's reference to weapons caused woman to contact police.

A report of a hostage situation at a Winnetka school Monday that caused a flurry of police activity and confusion started off as an innocent mistake -- a "pocket dial," or an accidental phone call.

Monday evening at the district offices was never doing so, said Mark Friedman, interim superintendent. No hostage situation or drill of any kind took place.

The mishap that led to the misunderstanding is common to cell phone users and goes by many names, including "butt dialing."

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"That term actually came up today, that and 'pocket dial,'" Friedman said.

The man was driving home from work when his cell phone accidentally dialed his wife. When the woman picked up the phone, she heard the lyrics to a song the man was listening to in his car which referenced weapons, and she interpreted the lyrics to be a live conversation, Friedman said.

Find out what's happening in Winnetka-Glencoewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She then hung up and called police. According to a Winnetka police news release, the woman heard her husband speaking but could not understand all of what he said, nor could she get him to respond.

"This was truly a misunderstanding," Friedman said. "Somebody heard something they thought was something but it was actually something else."

"Based on what she was hearing she formed a belief that he was being held hostage by a man with a gun in his office," the release said.

Friedman said the man is a "good employee" and was "mortified." He will not face disciplinary action, Friedman added. Police determined that the man and his wife committed no criminal offenses and no charges will be filed.

"At no time was any student, faculty or member of the public in any danger," the release said. "There was never a suspect or offender present at the school or any other location."

which are connected. Winnetka police responded to the building and other agencies were notified. During a search of the building, "further information developed indicating this was a false alarm," the release said.

"We were very impressed with the response from the [police]," Friedman said. "They did the protocols and they were not leaving any stone unturned."


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