New Hope police confirm barricade situation was hoax

NEW HOPE, Pa. (WTXF) - Police in New Hope said a possible barricade situation on West Ferry Street turned out to be a hoax.

Authorities in Bucks County received a call Sunday before 5 p.m. from a person who said he had barricaded himself in an apartment on West Ferry Street in New Hope.

"We were in one of the little shops and they told us they have to lock the door and in 19 minutes, you have to get out," said Brianna Savage.

An abrupt ending to a charming weekend visit that quaint and historic New Hope is famous for.

"They told us like evacuate the area, like walk away and stuff," said Greg Stephens.

The Logan Inn was evacuated, too, all in quiet, orderly fashion.

"They were evacuating the restaurants, but nobody seemed panicked at the time," Matt Hoyle explained.

Until Main Street and its narrow side roads were crawling with emergency vehicles and SWAT teams, with big guns on full display.

"I think it's crazy," Savage stated.

"We don't know what's happening. We can't get to the car. We have nowhere to go," said Teresa Ona.

"My neighbor waved at me from an upstairs window and he told me to get inside, there was an active shooter across the street," Hoyle explained.

Hoyle lives right across the street from the Logan Inn, near the vape shop where police say they got a call claiming someone had been shot and that someone was barricaded at 15 West Ferry Street.

"He said that he had shot his girlfriend and that he had a hostage and that he had an IED device that he was going to set off," Chief Mike Cummings said.

After police say they spoke with the caller for some time, sent in robots and a search team:

"The conclusion that no one was in the building at all. We believe this was a swatting somebody playing a hoax and they were getting a lot of information from a live feed that was in one of the stores. That live feed was giving him information that made us believe he was in the store at that time," Chief Cummings stated.

Police must respond to every situation. Still, lots of people were scared and inconvenienced by a prankster.

"It seems like this would be an area where it wouldn't happen and it's happening," said Caleb Burrows.