The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) were not amused by what may have been intended to be an April Fool's Day joke.
OPP responded to an online article released on Wednesday, that claimed that a state of emergency had been declared in Huron County.
According to police, the article claimed that the Detachment Commander, five senior officers, and 21 uniformed members of the OPP had been arrested, resulting in the RCMP taking charge of policing in the region.
"The information contained in this article is entirely untrue," said a statement from OPP.
Sergeant Ed Sanchuk also addressed the false claims in a social media post.
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Police called the article "inappropriate and irresponsible," particularly since it mimicked legitimate news coverage, adding that it erodes public trust and affects public safety.
