In This Case, It's the Cops Accused of 'Prank Stupidity'

Several Oklahoma City police officers have been sidelined after an alleged April Fool's joke involving a report of a baby tossed from a moving car. "Delta 13 just advised that they threw a baby out the window," a dispatcher reported as a police officer relayed electronic messages about a vehicle supposedly being pursued around 9:30pm Wednesday, per the Oklahoman. A subsequent message claimed the driver had run over a transient. Multiple agencies, including the Oklahoma City Fire Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, became involved before officers relayed that it had all been a prank, prompting a dispatcher to respond that it "wasn't funny." KOCO reported that the fire department sent a fire engine, rescue trucks, a "blood unit," and a district chief.

The officers involved are now on administrative leave while an internal investigation plays out; the department hasn't named the officers or said whether they could face criminal charges. Attorney Noble McIntyre told KFOR that abusing 911 is a misdemeanor in Oklahoma, subject to "a $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail," though limited enforcement means false reports and swatting calls remain common. She argued the bigger damage was to public trust. State 911 coordinator Lance Terry told KOCO that false reports waste resources and endanger the public, potentially delaying responses to real emergencies. Social media users have called for the officers to be "fired" and "prosecuted," per the Oklahoman. "There is no possible excuse or explanation for this prank stupidity," one wrote.