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BUCKHANNON -- A Buckhannon man confessed to making a false 911 call that prompted the activation of the Upshur County SWAT team Wednesday on the Tallmansville Road.
Danny Dalenberg, 63, was arrested for false reporting of an emergency incident, a misdemeanor, by Chief Deputy Mike Kelley with the Upshur County Sheriff's Department.
"The incident was a bogus call and no shots were ever fired and no weapon was located at the time," according to a press release from the Upshur County Sheriff's Department.
About 2:33 p.m. Wednesday, an unidentified caller contacted 911 and stated there had been shots fired at a residence on the Tallmansville Road. A couple minutes later, the caller again contacted 911 and said "to go ahead and send police and he would do head shots on them," Kelley wrote in the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk's office. The information officers received en route was that the caller was at the Wingfield residence at 1962 Tallmansville Rd.
However, the Wingfields told officers nothing was going on and allowed Kelley, Lt. Mark Davis, Cpl. Rodney Rolenson and BPD Lt. Doug Loudin to search the residence, where no one was found.
A subsequent investigation revealed the cell phone that was used to place the call was in the name of Dalenberg and that Dalenberg lived in a residence behind the Wingfields, according to Kelley.
Kelley interviewed Dalenberg at the sheriff's department on Thursday and Dalenberg confessed to placing the fake call, officials said.
"He stated he was depressed and had been drinking at the time," Kelley wrote in the criminal complaint.
Dalenberg was arraigned Friday before Magistrate Mike Coffman who set bond at $25,000 – $5,000 cash and $20,000 surety. Dalenberg posted bond.
If convicted, Dalenberg faces a fine of not more than $500 and/or jail for not more than six months.