Two brothers charged over social media stabbing hoax

Two brothers in Maryland staged a fake stabbing in their kitchen before calling cops and paramedics to the scene as part of an elaborate social media stunt, according to police

Denidson Jean, 21, and Pierre Jean, 19, were both arrested and charged with knowingly causing a false call for an ambulance and making false statement to an officer with the intent to deceive and cause an investigation.

A video of the prank posted to a YouTube account allegedly run by the brothers has since been deleted.

The pair’s arrest on Feb. 8 followed a Jan. 24 911 call reporting a stabbing at the brothers’ home in suburban Silver Spring, according to a release from the Montgomery County Police Department.

The 911 caller told the dispatcher that two brothers had been fighting in the house and one appeared to have stabbed the other in the neck.

A responding officer arrived to find Denidson in the kitchen lying in a pool of what looked like blood while holding a T-shirt to his neck in an apparent effort to stop the bleeding.

Pierre, also covered in blood and standing over his brother, replied “I didn’t mean to” when asked who stabbed Denidson, police said.

The officer immediately started administering first aid to Denidson while calling for additional responders on his police radio.

Four other residents were also in the home “yelling and crying,” the release states.

After about two minutes of receiving first aid, Denidson suddenly sat up and started laughing.

He allegedly told the officer the whole thing was simply a prank for social media, and it was determined that Denidson was not in fact injured as more officers arrived on the scene.

Cops later found fake blood at the home, as well as a digital camera placed in the kitchen light.

Pierre and Denidson created the stabbing scene before getting other residents at the home and directing them to call 911 five times, police said in the release.

There is no indication that the other residents knew the scene was staged.

The two brothers have since been released from custody.

“The suspects’ decision to orchestrate this hoax for social media and set it into motion with directing a call to 9-1-1 demonstrated a total disregard for the numerous Montgomery County police officers and Fire & Rescue personnel who were dispatched to the residence,” Montgomery Police Chief Marcus Jones said in the release.

“These officers and medical personnel responded in an emergency status (activating vehicle overhead lights and siren) to render aid to the alleged stabbing victim, causing unnecessary risk to the emergency responders and the community. The suspects created a dangerous and chaotic scene for the officers and other residents in the home, and we are fortunate that no one was hurt or injured during this situation.“