19 February 2020, Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel: A patrol car of the police is parked in Kiel with the blue light switched on. Photo: Carsten Rehder/dpa (Photo by Carsten Rehder/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A Georgia teen is facing multiple charges following a prank gone wrong. Police arrested Tanji Hallman, 17, one day after she texted her friend that she’d been shot and couldn’t call 911.
In response to the text, the friend called 911, explaining the situation. Valdosta officers and emergency responders arrived at the address provided by the friend a few minutes after noon on Saturday (Jul. 29), per WSB-TV.
Amid their arrival, the friend informed the 911 dispatcher that Tanji had sent a follow-up text claiming she was joking. However, no one was reportedly able to contact Hallman.
Valdosta Police eventually located Tanji Hallman at a different address than the one officers responded to. At the time, she confirmed the text was a joke, adding that she found the prank on social media.
Though the text was a prank, Valdosta Police are not taking it as such. In fact, Hallman was placed under arrest the next day, July 30. Authorities took the 17-year-old to Lowndes County Jail.
Police Chief, Leslie Manahan, spoke on the matter to the local outlet.
“Our officers responded in full emergency mode to this so-called prank. Not only were our officers’ lives at risk, but also so many people who were traveling on our roadways as emergency vehicles were responding. Due to the nature of this call for service, our officers had to spend time ensuring that no one had been injured, which pulled them from answering other emergency calls. We will continue to prosecute anyone who falsifies a crime for social media attention,” Chief Manahan said.
A search of the jail records on Wednesday did not populate any information on the teen’s arrest. At this time, it’s unclear if she remains incarcerated.
According to WSB-TV, Hallman faces at least three charges. They include “reckless conduct, false report of a crime-misdemeanor, and unlawful conduct during a 911 call.”
Valdosta is located about three-and-a-half hours south of Atlanta, Georgia. There are no further updates on this story.
This incident follows the viral story of Carlee Russell–a nursing student who faked her disappearance and kidnapping for about 49 hours.
Like Hallman, the 26-year-old was ultimately charged with “false reporting to law enforcement authorities” and “falsely reporting an incident.” Although her charges are misdemeanors, they could reportedly lead to one year in county jail or labor in the county per charge, per AL.
