Attorney: Family of 'swatting' victim wants officer charged

[Craizie]

The other gamer he was fighting with gave him a bogus address when the caller asked for him for his. It just happened to be a real one.

That's what I was meaning, did the guy who gave "his" address just pull it out of his ass? Seems suspect.

[TX_92_Notch]

The man killed was not a gammer and had no clue what was going on.

Oh shit. I missed that!

[svauto-erotic855]

That's what I was meaning, did the guy who gave "his" address just pull it out of his ass? Seems suspect.

Not really. If someone calls the police and says" I am Mr Smith on Main St and I am murdering my family" the police will go off like a poked hornets nest until they find a Mr Smith on Main St and try to stop him.

Edit: When it comes to cut and dry issues the police are outstanding in how well they deal with them. When they are expected to cure social issues they fall flat on their faces.

[Chili]

The man killed was not a gammer and had no clue what was going on.

Oh shit. I missed that!

I missed that too. The original posted article doesn't seem to indicate it but other sources do:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/suspect-kansas-swatting-death-served-time-false-bomb-reports-n834201

Law enforcement sources told NBC News that Barriss made the false report after he got into a dispute in connection with online gaming. He gave authorities the address where he believed that person lived, but it was an address for Finch, who wasn't involved in the dispute, the sources said.

And this guy has already spent time in jail for making false bomb threats, so this definitely fits his MO.. I sure hope they actually find him guilty of something significant..

In 2015, California authorities pursued Barriss for similar activities. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office handled two cases that year of bomb threats involving Barriss, a spokesman for the agency told NBC News on Tuesday.

The cases involved four separate threats — two against KABC-TV and one each against an elementary school in Los Angeles and a middle school in Granada Hills, near Los Angeles, the spokesman said.

The cases were consolidated, and Barriss pleaded no contest in May 2016 to felony counts of making a false report of a bomb to an agency or a business and maliciously reporting a false bombing. He was sentenced to 32 months in the Los Angeles County Jail, the district attorney's office said; under California law, nonviolent offenders customarily are released after serving half of their sentences.

[ceyko]

How does this part have any bearing on what happened here? Do the cops know before they arrive on a call that the suspect is innocent or guilty?

I'm not arguing for either side, just pointing out that innocence or guilt plays no part in what happened here. The police were under the impression that a kidnapping/hostage situation had occurred. I don't think their job description includes determining guilt or innocence before arriving on scene.

I do understand what you're saying, but imagine this disorientation and/or rage/lack of trust of what is going on. Anyone can get some red and blues and yell orders. If you're a person who has done NOTHING wrong or otherwise does not deserve such treatment - anything from simple mistakes to out right rage are possibilities and understandable.

To counter, does the citizen have any clue if they are legit?

Again...I understand what you're saying - that somewhere in some law, their initial approach is 100% legal. So technically maybe it's not a "right" to be left the fuck alone when you're just minding your own business.

However, I can't really blame a citizen for doing anything from a simple mistake to rage in this situation.

I'm not saying I'd do anything but try and cooperate - but hell I MIGHT just be pissed off and drunk when they show up. It always seems to be a huge PITA for the non-police people involved to get things made right - surviving the situation or not.

...and of course this situation sucks twice as much compared to the no-knocks. As far as I know - the screwed up no-knocks can be prevented. This situation was tee'ed up by the supposed shooter...etc..etc.

[GE]

How does someone in a tac unit AD like that?! Finger off the trigger! yeesh.

[Craizie]

How does someone in a tac unit AD like that?! Finger off the trigger! yeesh.

I read that none of the actual officers on scene were SWAT.

[TX_92_Notch]

Man Behind Fatal Swatting Prank in Kansas Gets 20 Years in Prison

https://www.thedailybeast.com/tyler-...ears-in-prison

A California man who made a fake emergency call that led to the “swatting” death of a Kansas man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, CNN reports. Tyler Raj Barriss pleaded guilty to making a false report resulting in the death of 28-year-old Andrew Finch and other calls that did not lead to any other deaths or injuries.

Barriss reportedly called Wichita police in December 2017 claiming that a hostage situation involving a gun was happening at Finch’s residence, which resulted in police arriving and shooting Finch—who later died at the hospital. The incident reportedly stemmed from an argument one of Barriss’ co-defendants got into with Finch while they were playing a video game. Barriss also reportedly made bomb threats to the Federal Communications Commission’s Washington D.C. office. “Swatting is no prank,” Stephen McAllister, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, said at a press conference. “Sending police and emergency responders rushing to anyone’s home based on utterly false information as some kind of joke shows an incredible disregard for the safety of other people.” McAllister also said Barriss’ sentence was “by far the longest prison sentence” for swatting imposed so far in the U.S.



Hopefully he serves the full 20.

[TX_92_Notch]

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.

You win.

[AnthonyS]

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.

That’s the current standard our military is held to. Why should the cops be held to a different standard on domestic soil? Citizens definitely deserve more protection than enemy combatants.

[Gasser64]

You win.

Justice.

Now the cop needs to face justice as well. At least a manslaughter charge that sticks.