A late-night kidnapping alert at UC Berkeley was sparked by what police now say was a fantasy football punishment carried out by a group of students.
UC Berkeley’s police department issued a crime alert early Wednesday morning after a witness claimed they saw 8–10 college-aged men carry another person into a cargo van near Stephens Hall shortly before midnight.
The witness reported the incident about an hour later, prompting the university to warn of a possible kidnapping and aggravated assault on campus.
In its initial alert published at 2:10 a.m., UCPD said authorities were attempting to locate the victim and had limited information about the people involved. The report did not indicate whether the person taken into the van was a student.
Student later clarified the “kidnapping” was a fantasy football stunt
According to The Berkeley Scanner, UCPD followed up Wednesday afternoon with new details after detectives were finally able to speak with the people involved. Police said the witness told them they heard “giggling and laughing” during the incident rather than any signs of distress.
At about 1:40 p.m., the student who had been carried into the van walked into the UC Berkeley Police Department to explain the situation. Officials confirmed the group was carrying out a consensual prank tied to their fantasy football league and that no crime occurred.
UC Berkeley police reiterated that the original witness acted appropriately by reporting what they saw, even though the situation turned out to be a misunderstanding.