MIDTOWN SOUTH, Manhattan – The NYPD is investigating phony calls made over police radio threatening a captain and taunting officers last weekend.
The latest phone call happened on Sunday, just before 9 p.m., the suspect was calling for an officer needing assistance within the confines of the 114 Precinct in Queens. After the dispatcher said no such call was made, this prompted a roll call of all units to confirm no one was in trouble.
No one was hurt.
The first troubling call happened around 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Bronx when an anonymous man was heard saying an officer was shot. Scores of police respond and find nothing.
The same individual appears to make a second call minutes later to police radio asking for the captain on duty assigned to Manhattan’s Midtown South Precinct. The call didn’t raise any suspicions because it used NYPD lingo.
The suspect said over the radio:
“Manhattan South captain? Manhattan South captain on the air? Central, raise up the [Manhattan] South captain for me.”
But during the unauthorized transmission Saturday evening, it becomes sinister.
Captain, remember how you put me in jail? I’m out now and I’m coming to put a bullet in your head son. Remember captain, I’m coming for you.”
The captain counters with, “Come 85 [meet] me, where do you want to meet, baby?”
As if the encounter wasn’t bizarre enough, the suspect makes yodeling nosies and dispatcher noise until the captain has enough.
“Hey, grow up,” he said. “Some people are trying to do their jobs.”
Nick Casale is a former NYPD detective and says police radios are lost and stolen, but usually “don’t cross the line” with something like this.
“After 9/11 and especially of this rash of senseless attacks on police officers,” Casale said. “This has to be treated as an absolute priority.”
Police said at this point they don’t deem the threats are credible but will continue to investigate.
