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

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posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 02:32 PM
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Online gamers have said in multiple Twitter posts that the shooting of a man Thursday night by Wichita police was the result of a “swatting” hoax involving two gamers.


Swatting happened when someone makes a call to a police department with a false story of an ongoing crime – often with killing or hostages involved – in an attempt to draw a large number of police officers to a particular address.

...

On Twitter, more than a dozen people who identified themselves as being in the gaming community told The Eagle that a feud between two Call of Duty players sparked one to initiate a “swatting” call.

After news began to spread about what happened Thursday night, the people in the gaming community, through Twitter posts, pointed at two gamers.



www.kansas.com...

I am not big in the gaming community but I have friends that are.

"Swatting" is when players will call the police and give them another players address, and say a horrible criome has occured there , which leads to the swat team showing up.

There are platforms such as "Twitch" (I think thats the name) were users film themselves live plaaying video games and get donations.

Often times these live players will be swatted as a joke, as audiences hget to watch them be barraged by police who think an active shooter situation is occuring.

In this particular incident, tweeters are suggesting that there was a feud between two players.

One of the players decided to swat the other, but gave an incorrect address.

The swat team shows up to an innocent man not involved with this in any way, and when he comes to the door he gets shot and killed.

Of course there are questions as to why the man was shot and if the police acted wrong.

But I am not surprised to see this online prank of swatting finally cost someone their life.

I think that person who made this prank call ought to go to prison for many many years.


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posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 02:38 PM
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I bet in almost every other country on earth the police wouldn´t have killed the man!


+17 more 
posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 02:43 PM
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a reply to: Grambler

the first step is to stop calling it a " prank "


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posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 02:59 PM
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I don't think he's responsible for the police killing anyone, that's their responsibility.

Prank 911 calls are generally 30 days in jail. Maybe 90 days in some jurisdictions.

He should face his misdemeanor but it's in no way his fault if the cops decide to murder people in cold blood.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:02 PM
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originally posted by: DerBeobachter
I bet in almost every other country on earth the police wouldn´t have killed the man!


That's your take on it huh... every other single country in the world the police wont kill the man, think that statement through.

You sure you want to stand by it?

On topic, It sucks that this will probably be nothing more than a misdemeanor that seems a little light for having played a part in a persons death.
edit on 29-12-2017 by Irishhaf because: additional thought.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:02 PM
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a reply to: Grambler
Swatting is easily one of the top 3 most horrible things to come about from online gaming, but is not limited to gaming. It has also been advertised as a service on the deep web.

Not sure why he was shot for answering the door. Is their a separate article that initially focused specifically on that event before it became suspected that swatting was involved? I sure would like to see the spinning the PD was trying to come up with at the time to justify it.

Even for the swatter in question, it is unlikely they can be charged with little more than filing a false report, unless either jurisdiction or state, from the prankster to the victim have codified the act into a felony statute. Then he can get felony murder and see prison for sure.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:04 PM
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a reply to: muzzleflash

Only in America would doing 1 to 3 months in jail be considered a "misdemeaner".

Just saying...



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:07 PM
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a reply to: Subaeruginosa
Thats an outright lie and you know it. In fact, prove your statement right now or you are talking out of your posterior (noun).


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posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:14 PM
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originally posted by: DerBeobachter
I bet in almost every other country on earth the police wouldn´t have killed the man!


I agree to a point...thinking of no-knock raids with flashbangs and babies injured.

The police are told there's an armed home invasion occurring or that a father is threatening to shoot his children and gunshot was heard. SWAT turn up and are prepared for the worst. Their response is dictated by the (false) report.

It's one of those situations that needs to be taken seriously. What else can they do?

Whoever makes the call shoulders most of the blame for what happens. Sure, the officers need to come correct and follow protocols too. Still, sending armed response teams to innocent parties is Russian roulette with real stakes.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:16 PM
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a reply to: worldstarcountry

Prove what statement exactly?

If you get jail time here (or in most countries I'm aware of), then its because you've done something which is considered by the courts to be a very serious offence, rather than a "misdemeanor".

Its just basic common knowledge.

edit on 29-12-2017 by Subaeruginosa because: (no reason given)



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:17 PM
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what a horrible 'prank' to play on somebody.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:22 PM
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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.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:34 PM
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a reply to: Grambler

Most swatting cases ar taken seriously and usually start off with terrorism charges or serious felony. I am leaning towards hoax or just rumors in that particular gaming community.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:37 PM
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originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: worldstarcountry

Prove what statement exactly?

If you get jail time here (or in most countries I'm aware of), then its because you've done something which is considered by the courts to be a very serious offence, rather than a "misdemeanor".

Its just basic common knowledge.


People serve jail time everywhere in America for misdemeanor crimes. It happens every single day. Perhaps you're confusing jail time with prison time.

They will most definitely send misdemeanor offenders to jail, and sometimes for months at a time depending on the charge.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:48 PM
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I thought gamers were adults nowadays?



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:50 PM
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This won't be a popular opinion but It's my opinion that American Leos are much more aggressive than many. Maybe it's because I live in Georgia and we have many more Leos per person than most other states and a much higher prison population. And a population much higher with illegals and racial profiling.

In the future, I think we will look back at our past as dark days of violence and extremely unfair punishments for many.

The op's example is frightening-but without details-well, it's still frightening.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:52 PM
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a reply to: Grambler

Of it was all started by a prank, makes no matter the cops would be 100% at fault and need to be prosecuted for murder. Unless the dude answered the door with a gun aimed at the police.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:54 PM
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originally posted by: and14263
I thought gamers were adults nowadays?


Adults that live in their parents basements.



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:55 PM
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I want to agree, but if the person hadn't made the call nobody would have died under these circumstances. You don't feel there is any culpability there for the person who brought down the police response onto this man?



posted on Dec, 29 2017 @ 03:58 PM
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I have the unpopular solution: get rid of internet anonymity. People can't handle themselves when they have no reason to hold their tongues... So get rid of the veil of anonymity and they won't dare do this crap.

I used to be all against that sort of thinking... but what is to be done if people devolve into trolls and miscreants when given it?



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