Crew Filming Hostage Scene Gets Taken Down By SWAT Team

Lead Actor Cited For Disorderly Conduct
The Denver Channel
Jun. 19, 2006

Those who plan to film a hostage scene might want to make it obvious that it's a simulation and not the real deal.

That may the lesson that an independent film crew learned over the weekend after Larimer County SWAT officers swarmed them during a shoot for a low-budget feature movie.

Members of the Twelve Monkeys Dancing Films were at a campground Saturday, shooting a scene where the lead actor takes a girl hostage and beats up on a good Samaritan who tries to intervene.

"It happened very suddenly after that. We heard, 'Freeze,'"said director Eileen Acosta.

They were in the middle of the scene when a team of Larimer County sheriff's deputies ran over, shouting orders to get on the ground, pointing M-16 semiautomatic rifles at the crew, actor Chris Borden said.

Borden told the newspaper that they were cuffed and held on the ground until the situation was sorted out. Even though crew members tried to explain to the SWAT team that this was for a movie, the officers told them to shut up while they interviewed the "victims." Officers also tested the fake blood that was on the stunt car.

Borden said after about 30 minutes, the crew was released.

Borden said he thinks that a person who drove by the North Fork campground near Loveland saw the scene and called authorities.

He said it would have been funny except for the fact that he was issued a citation for disorderly conduct. Agosta, was also cited.

"It was complete ignorance on my part," said Acosta. "I honestly thought you could tell what we were doing."

"It is certainly not beyond belief these days that individuals do video tape crimes as they commit them," said Maj. Jeff Smith of Larimer County Sheriff's Department. "Having a video camera there did not necessarily mean there was not threat."

The crew had a park permit and had been filming for several hours when the SWAT team arrived. Their footage was confiscated by the Larimer County Sheriff's Department.