"Swatting" prank may have led to death of a man

Maybe some of you defending this prankster should go listen to the 911 call. He said he killed his father and was holding his mother and sibling at gun point in a closet. Then he said he doused the whole house in gasoline and was thinking about setting fire to it.

www.kansas.com...

At 6:18 p.m., an officer working at City Hall received a call from an unknown man who said there was a disturbance with his father. When dispatchers spoke with the caller, he said he got into an argument with his mother and shot his father. “They were arguing and I shot him in the head, and he’s not breathing anymore,” the caller said. Asked if he had any weapons on him, the caller said, “Yeah I do.” He then said he was standing by his mother’s closet holding a black handgun. “I’m just pointing the gun at them, making sure they stay in the closet,” the caller said. When the dispatcher asked if he could put the gun down, he said no. He then made further threats. “I already poured gasoline all over the house, I might just set it on fire,” he told the dispatcher. “Do you have my address correct?”

a reply to: yadda333

Prankster gets a double tap if it were up to me.
I actually have to be honest and not be dramatic..life sentence would be good enough, I don't really believe in the death penalty in todays flawed justice system.

originally posted by: Hewhowaits
It seems to me that online gamers should have live vital statistics being evaluated by a clinical psychiatrist/psychologist.

It might be very revealing about the current state of mind these people have.
It's pretty damn disgusting that a video game is more important than a human being.

I heard yesterday that gaming addiction is a mental illness that will be included in the nut job book, with the rest.

www.complex.com...

Glad I kicked the play station habit.

a reply to: burgerbuddy
damn! Ditto that I guess ...

a reply to: yadda333

originally posted by: burgerbuddy

originally posted by: Hewhowaits
It seems to me that online gamers should have live vital statistics being evaluated by a clinical psychiatrist/psychologist.

It might be very revealing about the current state of mind these people have.
It's pretty damn disgusting that a video game is more important than a human being.

I heard yesterday that gaming addiction is a mental illness that will be included in the nut job book, with the rest.

www.complex.com...

Glad I kicked the play station habit.

Right, let me guess, they will also have a miracle drug to sell gamers to help them battle their " condition " what a #ing joke, someone wake me up from this daymare.

originally posted by: muzzleflash
a reply to: SaturnFX

Maybe SWAT teams need to do better intel before barging in and killing everyone?

So what, they sit around and research for awhile, maybe check twitch channels and 4chan to see if there is anything happening there...wait a few hours during a potential hostage crisis?

Imagine a real event of proper psychopaths about to murder people, and swat deciding to just dick around seeing if there is a real threat...people would be up in arms about the lack of response.

What you are arguing for is magic...to know based on ? what is and isn't a real active emergency. Think about it.

originally posted by: burgerbuddy

originally posted by: Hewhowaits
It seems to me that online gamers should have live vital statistics being evaluated by a clinical psychiatrist/psychologist.

It might be very revealing about the current state of mind these people have.
It's pretty damn disgusting that a video game is more important than a human being.

I heard yesterday that gaming addiction is a mental illness that will be included in the nut job book, with the rest.

www.complex.com...

Glad I kicked the play station habit.

From the article:
The diagnosis for "gaming disorder" has already seen criticism, with one writer at HuffPost explaining, "'gaming disorder' is indicative of a larger trend to increasingly pathologize normative behaviors, whether for moral reasons (because older adults would prefer kids look at trees or play canasta than play video games) or financial (because there’s money to be made) or political (to regulate behavior or speech)."

aka, any hobby you may have is a disorder

a reply to: SaturnFX

What you're arguing for is that Swat should murder innocent people due to your fictional nightmare fantasies.

Any time there's a situation just run in and shoot everyone???

You guys are completely insane. Swat has never needed to kill 1 innocent person ever for any reason. It was always a yuge Mistake!!

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: burgerbuddy

originally posted by: Hewhowaits
It seems to me that online gamers should have live vital statistics being evaluated by a clinical psychiatrist/psychologist.

It might be very revealing about the current state of mind these people have.
It's pretty damn disgusting that a video game is more important than a human being.

I heard yesterday that gaming addiction is a mental illness that will be included in the nut job book, with the rest.

www.complex.com...

Glad I kicked the play station habit.

Right, let me guess, they will also have a miracle drug to sell gamers to help them battle their " condition " what a #ing joke, someone wake me up from this daymare.

Being weak willed and/or minded is not a mental illness.

But then again having a certain actual mental illness is now being called a 'progressive social cause".

When "they" wake you up give me a good shaking too.

originally posted by: SaturnFX

originally posted by: muzzleflash
a reply to: SaturnFX

Maybe SWAT teams need to do better intel before barging in and killing everyone?

So what, they sit around and research for awhile, maybe check twitch channels and 4chan to see if there is anything happening there...wait a few hours during a potential hostage crisis?

Imagine a real event of proper psychopaths about to murder people, and swat deciding to just dick around seeing if there is a real threat...people would be up in arms about the lack of response.

What you are arguing for is magic...to know based on ? what is and isn't a real active emergency. Think about it.

Curious how many psychopathic mass murderers take time during their delusions to call 911 and lay out exactly what they have done, will do and please make sure you got my address correct so you can come and kill me?

originally posted by: SaturnFX

originally posted by: muzzleflash
a reply to: SaturnFX

Maybe SWAT teams need to do better intel before barging in and killing everyone?

So what, they sit around and research for awhile, maybe check twitch channels and 4chan to see if there is anything happening there...wait a few hours during a potential hostage crisis?

Imagine a real event of proper psychopaths about to murder people, and swat deciding to just dick around seeing if there is a real threat...people would be up in arms about the lack of response.

What you are arguing for is magic...to know based on ? what is and isn't a real active emergency. Think about it.

Don't you remember the oft-cited 'Cops have no responsibility to save people's lives' realization?

You really think they care about that? I think the vast majority of roid-abusing cops these days want to 'arm up' military style and go disperse some pew-pews.

In a sense the COPS are playing real-life Call of Duty. They RELISH the chance to storm in and kill people and HOPE they can find a justification.

A small minority truly want to help people. I don't know numbers but I know some gung-ho cops.

Make no mistake these cops are sort of nice people in a normal setting. In the gym? Nice guys. Out in the field ramped up for action, full riot gear, IT'S ON, BABY.

I don't actually blame the individual cop. I blame their culture and I blame their top brass. If the TOP BRASS wanted this not to be happening, it would not be happening. If there was no culture of locker-room commandos, it would not be happening. If they paid decent good wages, if they had cops get college degrees in law and criminal justice (not Lawyer level of course) this would not be happening.

But society does NOT care. So, consequently, cops don't care. They're a 'them-vs-us' culture and we caused it.

a reply to: muzzleflash

C'mon Muzz? The caller has a history of swatting and has admitted to taking payment for them. He was connected to bomb threats too. He's admitted what he did on a YT video.

Let's wait and see what the follow-up details are before we blame the cops for being gung-ho. As far as they were concerned they were visiting an active, armed killer who was prepared to kill more and set the home on fire. What options were available? Be reasonable here.


a reply to: Maverick7

Watch this if you haven't already. He's an ex=cop (ex-marine with years of service) who quit to highlight some of the cultural issues in the Baltimore PD. It's the internet so I have to preface this by saying I am not a cop hater at all. You can see in this thread that I'm not. Nevertheless this guy (Michael Wood) says a lot of thought-provoking things about professionalism and training...bout 8 minutes in....

What I don't get is why the paranoid police didn't assess the situation,before going there and gunning down the dude..The "prankster" deserves a man slaughter charge with a 10 yr sentence.

a reply to: NobodyToldMe
Pulse Nightclub Orlando, 2016 is only the most recent example. The shooter called multiple times and disclosed to dispatch exactly what he did, and for who he declared allegiance too, and as to why he was doing it. It happens, and that was not the only recorded instance over the years where a killer has done just such. There have also been killers who have taunted dispatch in the past of their active crimes.

I could post those calls as well, but it will likely not be a good enough example to most who will not see the perspective from the damned if you do damned if you don't police officers.

originally posted by: worldstarcountry
a reply to: NobodyToldMe
Pulse Nightclub Orlando, 2016 is only the most recent example. The shooter called multiple times and disclosed to dispatch exactly what he did, and for who he declared allegiance too, and as to why he was doing it. It happens, and that was not the only recorded instance over the years where a killer has done just such. There have also been killers who have taunted dispatch in the past of their active crimes.

I could post those calls as well, but it will likely not be a good enough example to most who will not see the perspective from the damned if you do damned if you don't police officers.

Yep I forgot about that one. Fair enough.

I still think a simple number search on the reported address and a quick call to them as the police were on their way would have been a good idea.

Really surprised this hasn't been posted here yet:

An alleged serial "prankster" from California has been arrested over a fake 911 call that resulted in police fatally shooting an unarmed Kansas man earlier this week, officials said.

Tyler Barriss — a 25-year-old gamer suspected of making the false police report that led to the death of Wichita resident Andrew Finch — was cuffed by Los Angeles cops late Friday. The catastrophic prank Barriss carried out, known as "swatting," has gained traction in online gaming communities and typically involves a person making up a story about an ongoing violent crime to trigger a massive police response.

Serial prankster arrested in 'swatting' trick that led to fatal police shooting of unarmed Kansas man

So this scumbag gamer lived in California and due to his actions someone in Kansas is dead. Seems that crimes crossing state borders should be of a higher level of jurisdiction.

Wonder how all this will play out?

a reply to: NobodyToldMe

I still think a simple number search on the reported address and a quick call to them as the police were on their way would have been a good idea.

Thank you -- yes! Or at least some precautionary measures to make sure it isn't a prank call. And that's where so many of us find these tragic events wanting. Of course I want our LEOs to protect and defend themselves from REAL threats, and we need to give them the absolute best training and gear to do so. But with great power comes even greater responsibility. They also need to take every precaution to protect and defend the lives of the public -- not just shoot first and ask questions later because "better them than me". Swatting isn't a new thing. LEOs are well aware that this happens and often with tragic consequences. LE needs to develop and institute some process or procedures to at least try to confirm it's not a false report. The consequences demand it.

originally posted by: muzzleflash
a reply to: SaturnFX

What you're arguing for is that Swat should murder innocent people due to your fictional nightmare fantasies.

Any time there's a situation just run in and shoot everyone???

You guys are completely insane. Swat has never needed to kill 1 innocent person ever for any reason. It was always a yuge Mistake!!

What makes you think they did that? Maybe when they screamed at him to put hands up, he reached behind him real quick to...who knows..maybe pause his game and they reckoned he was diving for a gun.

More magical knowledge.

originally posted by: muzzleflash
a reply to: SaturnFX

What you're arguing for is that Swat should murder innocent people due to your fictional nightmare fantasies.

Any time there's a situation just run in and shoot everyone???

You guys are completely insane. Swat has never needed to kill 1 innocent person ever for any reason. It was always a yuge Mistake!!

Ahh, seems I was right

fficers screamed at Finch to put his hands in the air, but Livingston said the 28-year-old father of two young boys moved a hand toward his waistband. An officer, fearing Finch was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot. Finch died minutes later.

What you are arguing is that SWAT should be shot first before even considering action.

When police tell you to put your hands up, you put your hands up.

The person whom swatted this kid deserves 10+ imo. This isn't a prank call about someone saying some corny dad joke..this is yelling fire in a crowded theater. Go attend the funeral and just tell the mother its just a prank, yo!

The cops are in the clear. the nervous kid made a wrong move, and that sucks bigtime, but the person who has his death on his hands is the little s**t who made the call and that kid needs to pay