OTTAWA, Ohio — Editor's Note: The above video features previous reporting on the Canada anti-vaccine protests
A 20-year-old Akron man apparently needs some geography lessons.
In an effort to join the protests being held in Canada's capital city over mask mandates, the man called in a bomb threat so police would waste their time chasing it.
The only problem was the man didn't call Ottawa, Ontario. He called Ottawa, the village in Putnam County, Ohio. He actually called the Putnam County Sheriff's Office twice on Monday, according to sheriff's Capt. Brad Brubaker.
The first time he made a bomb threat, and then in a second call he said he had been shot, Brubaker said. That’s when the man found out he was talking with someone in Ohio.
“He wasn’t paying attention and just called the first number he found,” Brubaker told The Lima News. “He said he was mad about mask mandates. You’d think with him being from Ohio the “419” area code might have rung a bell,”
The sheriff’s office said it would ask the county prosecutor to consider charges against the man.
In the meantime, other departments in the village of Ottawa are having some fun with the mistaken threat. The Ottawa (OH) police department put out the following note on its Facebook page on Tuesday: "Just for clarification, this page is the Ottawa Police Department, in Ottawa, Putnam County, Ohio. We have been receiving calls, messages and comments from citizens in Canada. Our office wants to ensure your messages and concerns are heard by the correct agency."
Last month, the Canadian government required all truckers crossing the border to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to avoid a 14-day quarantine. On Jan. 22, the United States began enforcing a similar requirement, mandating that people entering the U.S. from the northern and southern borders be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be prepared to show related proof of vaccination.
In response to the new restrictions in Canada, long-haul drivers and their supporters launched a protest — the “Freedom Convoy 2022." They first staged a protest in Canada's capital city of Ottawa, before expanding their demonstrations this week. They have blockaded the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit.
VERIFY's Kelly Jones contributed to this report
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