Attorney: Family of 'swatting' victim wants officer charged

[TX_92_Notch]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/attorney-family-of-swatting-victim-wants-officer-charged/ar-BBHNpNd?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=ientp

tl;dr - guy calls 911 after an online gaming (COD $2 bet) dispute, reports violent kidnapping / hostage situation, cops arrive at the other guys house, guy gets killed when he opens the door and moves his hand in a manner that scared a trigger happy cop.



WICHITA, Kan. — The family of a Kansas man fatally shot at the door of his home after a hoax emergency call wants the police officer who killed him criminally charged for his death, their attorney said Tuesday.

Police have said 28-year-old Andrew Finch was shot after a prankster called 911 last Thursday with a fake story about a shooting and kidnapping at Finch's Wichita home. They said the hoax call was a case of "swatting," in which a person makes up a false report to get a SWAT team to descend on an address.

Finch's mother, Lisa Finch, wrote a letter Tuesday to Mayor Jeff Longwell, police Chief Gordon Ramsay and other city officials saying an unannounced visit from the police chief three days after the shooting did not ease her heart and left questions unanswered.

"It goes without saying that our family is devastated by what has happened," she wrote. "What cannot go without saying is why Wichita City leadership is compounding our grief and sorrow, by keeping my son from us? Please let me see my son's lifeless body. I want to hold him and say goodbye. Please immediately return his body to us."

Her letter also posed numerous questions, including asking when officials will return the front door, a computer, two cellphones, a video game and other items that were seized from the family's home. The family also wants information on the protocol and training for officers as it relates to "swatting" calls.

Chicago civil rights attorney Andrew M. Stroth, who is representing the family, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday that what the "swatters" did was inappropriate and tragic. However, he said, the family wants Wichita and its police to be held accountable.

"Justice for the Finch family constitutes criminal charges against the shooting officer and any other liable officers as well as damages against the city of Wichita for the policies and practices of its Police Department," Stroth said.

But criminologist B. Remy Cross at Webster University in Missouri said criminal charges are highly unlikely......



My personal opinion: the asshole that made the fake 911 call should be charged with involuntary manslaughter or whatever murder charge is appropriate.

[svauto-erotic855]

Both should be charged. The officers behavior was not justified even if the man really had just killed a few family members and was about to burn the house down. Lethal force is only appropriate for responding to lethal force.

[TX_92_Notch]

Both should be charged. The officers behavior was not justified even if the man really had just killed a few family members and was about to burn the house down. Lethal force is only appropriate for responding to lethal force.

The whole "I thought he was reaching for a gun" line is the seemingly automatic get-out-of-jail-free card. Just like the guy that was murdered by the commando cop in the hotel hallway.

[Sleeper]

Fucked up for sure. Feel for the family, especially since they won't release the mans body.

[Gasser64]

Both should be charged. The officers behavior was not justified even if the man really had just killed a few family members and was about to burn the house down. Lethal force is only appropriate for responding to lethal force.

We're obviously never going to see the end of this until no cop can fire until fired upon.

20 years no parole for the guy that made the 911 call.

[Sleeper]

Shot the guy from across the road with only voice commands. No speaker, notta.

Cop saw movement and shot.

The guy dropped his arms but didnt reach for anything. And had them back up when he was shot.

[ceyko]

I'm gonna need to look up this video later, seems similar to those no-knock things. It would be reasonable for a resident/homeowner to do whatever since they are innocent or think they are innocent.

[Sleeper]

There where units across the road and a unit in a alley right beside the house.

It looks like he is facing the closest officers, but the guy yelling commands is across the street where the shot came from.

[TX_92_Notch]

Body cam footage + 911 audio from the swatting call

[LANTIRN]

The cop that fired should get prison time for murder. The other cop not sure, video is hard to tell what is going on but I am on my phone. I understand they thought they were responding to murder and I get removing him from the house, cuffing him, then going in to see there are no murder victims so it is a little different than no knock warrants. They thought it was a crime in progress. However dude comes out and complies with commands and you shoot him. And he was innocent. Hell i would go for the death penalty on this on, same thing in the hallway murder but we know how that turned out. This cop will get off on any charges and probably get praise from his boss on excellent police work out there.

[jammeejamm]

the kid who made the call should be the one for which a precedent is made. fuck his life and every forward day of it up.

society needs a serious reminder there are consequences.

[Sgt Beavis]

Both need to do time. WTF was that cop thinking?

[LANTIRN]

Both need to do time. WTF was that cop thinking?

This. Unfortunately only the caller will see prison time.

[ceyko]

The cop that fired should get prison time for murder. The other cop not sure, video is hard to tell what is going on but I am on my phone. I understand they thought they were responding to murder and I get removing him from the house, cuffing him, then going in to see there are no murder victims so it is a little different than no knock warrants. They thought it was a crime in progress. However dude comes out and complies with commands and you shoot him. And he was innocent. Hell i would go for the death penalty on this on, same thing in the hallway murder but we know how that turned out. This cop will get off on any charges and probably get praise from his boss on excellent police work out there.

Yeah - the dude who called should get at least life in prison.

IMHO this is still very similar to the no-knocks from a citizen/resident/victim point of view. In this case and in my opinion even if the dude at the door was raising a rifle - I'd understand. When you are 100% innocent and were doing NOTHING wrong the police have no right to call you out and give you orders. Then you're coming out thinking it's a prank or possibly wondering if they are impostors...etc

Then looking at it from the cop's point of view - it's pretty clear why they would be edgy and why someone that may appear to be aggressive would get a bullet.

I cannot really say one way or another on the cop aspect - I can't really tell shit from the short clip on the video and the little audio available.

What I do wonder about though is how dispatch could not tell the address. My ASSUMPTION is that he called from a cell phone and not a POTS line - which leaves room from a grey area for the address. In the past these sort of things happened (i.e. a criminal hiding out in at address A - calls 911, reports siting and gun fire at address B to take some of the heat off of address A - dispatch though quickly determined calling address and stopped the ruse), but cell phones were not a factor.

The only thing that seems 110% clear is that the 911 caller is without a doubt responsible for that death or murder. That situation should never of happened in the first place and the punishment needs to be severe on the caller at least for making that happen.

[svauto-erotic855]

Body cam footage + 911 audio from the swatting call

This is why you never come outside if the police are outside of your house wanting you to come out and you haven't done anything. Let them try to come in after you unless they slide a copy of a warrant under your door. If you make them come after you and you fire on them you will be just as dead but you will have the satisfaction of possible killing a few of the murderers who hide behind a badge and use is as the cover for your murder. You may also be like me and survive the first assault and then you will have a double dose of satisfaction by being able to look at your fallen foes while talking major shit to the next group who will be coming after you.

Remember folks, the upper hand is always to the defender and minimal preparations beforehand will have major consequences for anyone coming through your door. Wing walls just through every outside entry door or a wire rope curtain that can quickly be installed, bright lights shining in the direction of the door, a mannequin (one of a child holding a rifle would also make things really fucked up for the invaders) holding a rifle directly in the line of sight of anyone coming through a door, mirrors facing the doors, and wire rope trip wires that can be installed using carabiners through rings installed just above the base boards throughout your house. I have an an/vss-1 aimed at my door and things that restrict movement for several feet if you are trying to come into my house quickly.

When our founding fathers spoke about their fears of a standing army what they were talking about is law enforcement as we know it today. Other than the cost they would have been very pleased with our professional all volunteer military that we have. The police in our country would terrify them.

Edit: All of this shit talking aside; the police are constantly being placed in an impossible situation. They can only do what they are told to do and have no way of distinguishing the real deal from the fake deal until they have made an arrest and can sort through things. Despite my belief that the officer who fired the shot should be held accountable for the mans death I have plenty of sympathy for the circumstances he found himself in.