RICHMOND, Va. -- A recent threatening 911 call to a Richmond Police dispatch center, just two day after five Dallas police officers were killed, was deemed not to be a credible threat.
Despite that, the call has triggered many concerns.
CBS 6 obtained the audio recording of the threatening phone call made around noon on Saturday, July 9.
Dispatcher: “What is your name?”
Caller: “I said I'm gonna’ shoot some crack** a** cops.”
Dispatcher: “I heard what you said.”
Caller: "First cop I catch, they getting they a** shot in the head."
Dana Schrad, the executive director of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police said such calls, whether credible or not, leave an impression.
“Whether it’s saving a life or going into a criminal situation, you know they're going to think about this," Schrad said of police officers.
Some officers tell CBS 6 anonymously, they feel like walking targets.
Schrad said while the threats are disturbing, it's still business as usual for police working their beats.
"The key is to take a balanced approach and don't overreact as law enforcement when they hear the threats,” he said. “But they do need to be aware."
Police said they found the phone that made the call, but the owner claimed he had let someone borrow it. No charges were filed.
Schrad says police don't have time to track down every threatening call, especially if they are deemed not credible.
“Woah,” said Desmond Cable, listening to the call. He summed the phone threat up in two words: "Just ignorance."
Cable says the quicker this caller understands that his cowardly call only intensifies tensions, the better off everyone will be. Because in the end cable says the answer is community, not chaos.”
"If you cut me, I bleed red. If I cut you, you bleed red,” Cable said. “We are one people and until folks realize that, it won't get better."
High ranking sources within the RPD tell CBS 6 reporter Jon Burkett the audio was shared with officers as a refresher to remain on high alert.
