On the afternoon of July 16, dozens of SMU Police officers converged on the Dedman Life Sciences Building after a two-day search for Ian James Smith, 23, of Plano. According to the university’s official safety blog, Smith was taken into custody “in Dallas on a charge of making a false alarm or report” earlier that day. Witnesses described yellow crime-scene tape cordoning off the sidewalk along Bishop Boulevard as Smith was led into a marked police cruiser.
Smith faces one count of “false alarm or report”—a misdemeanor when first-time offenders target public agencies—that carries up to one year in county jail and a fine of up to $4,000. Under Texas Penal Code Section 42.06(a), it is illegal to knowingly circulate a report of an emergency that the defendant knows is false and which would ordinarily prompt an official response. Because the allegation involves a higher-education institution, the statute elevates the offense, reflecting lawmakers’ intent to protect campuses from hoaxes.…