OKC Officers on Leave After Fake Pursuit Prank

Oklahoma City police officers have been placed on administrative leave following an internal investigation into an April Fools' Day prank that prompted a fake high-speed pursuit involving reports of a baby being thrown from a vehicle.

The incident occurred on April 1 around 9:30 p.m. in Oklahoma City, when dispatchers received messages from at least one officer claiming involvement in a chase. According to police radio audio, a dispatcher relayed that the suspect had thrown a baby out the window near 36th Street and Robinson Avenue. The pursuing officer reportedly lacked radio communication and was sending location updates via the department's messaging system. As the situation escalated, additional details emerged, including claims that the vehicle had struck a pedestrian. A second officer joined the pursuit, also communicating through messages rather than radio.

Dispatchers coordinated responses, with at least two police units involved and firefighters dispatched to the reported pedestrian incident at 3200 South Robinson Avenue. An Oklahoma Highway Patrol dispatcher offered assistance, tracking the supposed chase on a map. The urgency peaked as questions arose about the...