Man accused of mistakenly sending bomb threat to Ottawa, Ohio police department amid trucker protests

OTTAWA, Ohio (Gray News) - Charges are forthcoming for an Ohio man accused of sending bomb threats to police in Ottawa amid protests in Canada’s capital.

Police told WTVG the man got the name of the city right, but the location was off by about 600 miles.

Ottawa is the county seat for Putnam County in northwest Ohio. When the man, who has yet to be identified, used Google to find the number for police in Canada, Google gave him a number that was closer to home, investigators said.

“He wasn’t paying attention and just called the first number he found,” Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Captain Brad Brubaker said. “He said he was mad about mask mandates.”

Thousands of protesters continue to gather in the Canadian capital, protesting COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions, which is a key issue impacting America’s northern neighbor and gaining global attention.

Police said that in the first call, the suspect issued a bomb threat for the address of the Ottawa, Canada city headquarters, which is located at an address that doesn’t exist in Ottawa, Ohio.

While Putnam County Sheriff’s deputies were attempting to trace the first call, he called back again, saying he had been shot.

It was then, after the call had been fully traced, that the dispatcher let the 20-year-old know he had the wrong Ottawa.

Brubaker said the man had not been arrested, but a recommendation for charges was filed with the Putnam County attorney, and those charges are forthcoming.