(a) No person shall cause the evacuation of any public place, or otherwise cause serious public inconvenience or alarm, by doing any of the following:
(1) Initiating or circulating a report or warning of an alleged or impending fire, explosion, crime or other catastrophe, knowing that such report or warning is false;
(2) Threatening to commit any offense of violence;
(3) Committing any offense, with reckless disregard of the likelihood that its commission will cause serious public inconvenience or alarm.
(b) This section does not apply if:
(1) Physical harm is caused to any person; or
(2) The offense results in economic harm of five hundred dollars ($500.00) or more; or
(3) The public place involved is a school; or
(4) The violation pertains to a purported, threatened, or actual use of a weapon of mass destruction.
(c) Division (a) of this section does not apply to any person conducting an authorized fire or emergency drill.
(d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of inducing panic, a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(RC 2917.31; Ord. No. 1631-05. Passed 3-20-06, eff. 3-24-06)