(WBRE/WYOU) — Calvin Polachek's motive for telling such a lie is unclear at this time, but 28/22 news looked into what could potentially provoke this and other similar behavior.
28/22 News Reporter Gianna Galli sat down with a local psychiatry physician's assistant on Wednesday, who provided insight.
The psychiatrist assistant 28/22 News spoke with talked about the behavior of Polachek and others.
She says these kinds of lies don't just happen overnight, and it may stem from a deeper sense of something missing inside.
Calvin Polacheck recalled a terrifying scene that never occurred.
At a televised gun violence survivor rally in Kentucky, the former Dallas High School student spoke about a deadly school shooting at his alma mater.
"There is definitely some deep-seated pathology going on here," psychiatrist physician's assistant Melanie Priebe said.
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Priebe called such behavior unusual and odd, but could be associated with someone willing to lie to feel wanted.
"These people feel that there is a void in their emotional bucket, like they don't feel paid attention to or appreciated or worthy," Priebe explained.
But Polachek isn't the first to lie about a terrible event.
Back in 2020, a Lackawanna County man, Chris Crawford, was charged with misrepresenting himself as a member of the military.
He even took it as far as stealing more than $16,000 from a local American Legion post.
In the early 2000s, Alicia Head, a Spanish woman from Barcelona, made national headlines when she claimed to be a survivor of the attacks on the World Trade Center.
She changed her name, joined a support group, and even said her fiancée died in the attacks. None of this was true.
Priebe says this kind of lying behavior can have real effects on those who actually suffered or are recovering from a tragic experience.
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"Because of all the trauma, they do all the work, and you hear this kind of story where it's false and fabricated. I think that could be a trigger for these people and make them relive something," Priebe continued.
It can also put unnecessary pressure on police.
"These claims have to be investigated, so you are wasting resources of local law enforcement, state law enforcement," Priebe added.
Priebe adds this kind of behavior doesn't pop out of nowhere.
"Most of these cases may come from that feeling of neglect as a child," said Priebe.
28/22 News reached out to Calvin Polachek, who is now a grad student in Kentucky, but so far have not heard back.
