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WILKES-BARRE — A Hazleton man allegedly made a false report to police to get a faster police response.
Samuel Baez, 39, called Luzerne County 911 twice around 5 p.m. Thursday and told dispatchers he was armed with an assault rifle and would start shooting people if police didn’t respond within minutes, according to police.
Police sent several officers to Baez’s location on Public Square and allegedly found Baez exposing himself and urinating in view of the public.
Officers say they confronted Baez, who admitted to calling 911 and making the threats because he believed he would get a faster police response. Baez appeared to be intoxicated to the degree he was a danger to himself and an annoyance to those in his vicinity, police said.
Baez was taken into custody. He was charged with open lewdness, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and giving a false report to law enforcement.