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Ogdensburg police say no crime committed in wake of hospital lockdown, not releasing name of caller

Posted 3/28/17

Story updated at 4:04 p.m. OGDENSBURG -- Police are not releasing the name of a caller who left a message that caused Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center to go into lockdown for an an active shooter …

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Ogdensburg police say no crime committed in wake of hospital lockdown, not releasing name of caller

Posted

Story updated at 4:04 p.m.

OGDENSBURG -- Police are not releasing the name of a caller who left a message that caused Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center to go into lockdown for an an active shooter threat.

Despite the scare, police say an investigation revealed that there was no crime committed and they would not be identifying the caller.

On Tuesday at approximately 11:26 a.m. Tuesday, a phone message received within the Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center campus caused the perception of a threat.

Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center was placed on lockdown for about 30 minutes.

Hospital spokeswoman Laura Shea said the hospital called police after listening to the message and took precautions by locking down the facility.

Shea says the hospital followed all protocols to ensure the safety of its employees until the matter was resolved.

The Ogdensburg Police Department, along with the assistance of the New York State Police, responded to the hospital and surrounded the building and its entrances.

After a brief investigation, the individual leaving the message was identified and a "tactical response was deployed to the person’s residence," police said.

Through the use of an Ogdensburg Police Department hostage negotiator, police say they were able to contact the person in question, leading officers to enter the home.

Chief Andrew Kennedy said the person who made the call "made a comment to a family member that was inadvertently recorded. He was in process of hanging up the phone."

“It was at that time that officers were able to determine that there was no intended threat, that the message left, was done so unintentionally, unknowingly, and that the hospital, staff, patients and community were never in any danger,” a news release from police says.

The Ogdensburg Police Department will not be releasing the name of the individual involved, as there was no crime committed, and no charges will be filed, according to police.

Kennedy said when names are released, the person is either a suspect or charged, which isn't the case in this instance.

“This gentlemen did nothing intentionally wrong," Kennedy said.