Potential hostage situation turns out to be a hoax outside Walmart in Bristol, Va.
BRISTOL, Va. June 11 2021 A bizarre situation unfolded outside the Bristol, Virginia Walmart on Wednesday. Police were alerted there concerning a potential hostage situation, but the whole thing turned out to be a hoax according to authorities.
“It’s not fun, I feel like sitting down and crying,” said Don Lord.
Lord and his son are truck drivers for Covenant Transport based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They were heading to Pennsylvania Tuesday to make a delivery, suddenly, they received a threatening phone call.
“They said they kidnapped somebody, was going to kill them if we didn’t get them money,” Lord said.
The caller claimed they had Don’s grandson held hostage in Florida. They demanded money and told the two men to drive to the nearest Walmart. The men stayed there all night, trying to figure out what to do. Wednesday morning the trucking company contacted police for a welfare check.
“They had two drivers who weren’t answering their phones or their mobile terminal in their truck,” Trooper Wayne Stumbo said. “I arrived on scene and spoke to one of the drivers who seemed fine at the time.”
Just hours later the trucking company called back, saying GPS was showing the truck hadn’t moved. Stumbo returned and he said the two men appeared nervous, so he called for backup.
“When we arrived we thought it was possibly a hostage situation here on the scene, that’s why we were so careful about how we approached the everything,” said Captain Maynard Ratcliff of the Bristol, Virginia Police Department.
At that point the two men told police the person claiming to have their family hostage is on the phone.
“One of our hostage negotiators did talk with one of the persons on one of the phones, and that’s where they finally admitted they didn’t have anyone hostage. They were just trying to scam these guys,” said Ratcliff.
According to Lord, the call originated from a number out of Mexico. Police consider the investigation closed.
We are learning more details about an incident outside the Walmart in Bristol, Virginia on Wednesday.
It started around 11 a.m. and centered around a tractor-trailer parked in the lawn and garden section of the store.
According to Capt. Maynard Ratliff with the Bristol, Virginia Police, they received a call from the trucking company concerning the father and son inside the vehicle. The caller told police the two men’s family were being held hostage in Florida. Police took precaution searching the vehicle. They are actively speaking with the two men. It appears the there is not hostage situation in Florida. Police are still investigating. The FBI has been notified.
WCYB
