By William A. Weathers
Enquirer staff writer

WALTON - Two prank telephone calls to Boone County's emergency dispatch center Sunday - one threatening to shoot sheriff's deputies who responded to the initial call - prompted a SWAT team response and tied up police for four hours.

The standoff at a residence in the 200 block of Haley Lane ended about 4:30 p.m. when the department determined that the threatening second call was also a prank, said Tom Scheben, spokesman for the Boone County Sheriff's Office.

Police filed charges against a 16-year-old boy inside the house, Scheben said.

The incident began when two deputies responded to a 911 trouble call at the residence about 12:30 p.m., Scheben said. After interviewing occupants of the home, deputies determined "it was a fictitious call," he said.

While the deputies were still inside, Scheben said, someone called the dispatch center and said he would shoot the deputies if they left the house.

The SWAT team was called while authorities tried to determine the location of the cell phone caller. About 4:30 p.m., it was determined that the call had originated from inside the home. More officers took one adult and two juveniles in for questioning.

E-mail bweathers@enquirer.com