Posted on 02/01/2016 5:15:23 PM PST by nickcarraway
Congresswoman Katherine Clark, who has proposed legislation to make "swatting" a federal crime, was the victim of the hoax this weekend.
On Sunday night, police officers responded to an anonymous call claiming there was an active shooter at Clark's Melrose home. Melrose Police say they received a computer-generated phone call stating there were "shots fired" at the home.
Clark was home with her husband and two children at the time and officers quickly determined that there was no danger.
"My family and I are grateful to Chief Lyle and the Melrose Police Department for their timely and professional response," Clark said in a statement. "No mother should have to answer the door to the police in the middle of the night and fear for her family's safety simply because an anonymous person disagrees with her."
"Swatting" is when someone makes a hoax call to police that prompts the SWAT team to respond. Rep. Clark has proposed making it a violation of federal law.
"I'm relieved that no one was hurt, but the sad reality is, these hoaxes known as "swatting" are a danger to victims, first responders, and our emergency preparedness," Clark said. "This is the exact reason that I introduced the Interstate Swatting Hoax Act - I want perpetrators to know that there are legal repercussions to their actions, and I'm committed to giving law enforcement the tools to deter these dangerous crimes."
Nationwide, the FBI estimates there are 400 swatting incidents every year.
Melrose Police are investigating the incident.
I’d like to see a minimum of 5 years in prison for the perpetrators of this “hoax”, and more would not bother me one bit. This is not a joke; it’s reckless conduct that can kill.
“I’d like to see a minimum of 5 years in prison for the perpetrators of this “hoaxâ€, and more would not bother me one bit. This is not a joke; it’s reckless conduct that can kill.”
Make it ten years. This is akin to Attempted Murder the way cops use deadly force today!
if a swatted person dies i would say 1st degree murder.
No disagreement, but the FBI is already so busy they won’t get around to finding that the Sec of State’s computer was hacked for another year!
It is attempted murder. And should be treated as such.
But I’m unclear how this is a federal issue that requires federal legislation.
It’s ‘attempted murder by cop’. The person/persons perpetrating this should do a loooooong stint, IMO.
Why can’t they send a small team (2?) to assess the situation first with the SWAT team a few blocks back?
“Melrose Police say they received a computer-generated phone call stating there were “shots fired” at the home.”
Computer generated is guaranteed to be bogus no matter what the subject of the call. And they sent the SWAT team out for this?
very bad juju and SHOULD be a major felony, but this is a state issue, not Federal.
She's a Rat and wants to extend your status as a subject of the Federal system even past health care delivery to total control.
I’d like to see it classified as attempted murder, which it is.
Agreed
Ideally I would like to see it prosecuted as attempted capital murder. And as capital murder if someone gets killed.
“But I’m unclear how this is a federal issue that requires federal legislation.”
Me too! If we don’t start enforcing the Constitution and the Tenth Amendment, we might as well disband the states and get rid of the layer of government that they represent.
Sure, an active shooter call should merit an immediate response. However, in the minutes it takes to assemble and transport the SWAT team to the address a simple phone call could provide valuable information. That changes the situation from SWAT breaking down doors with all the potential for loss of life that implies to a knock on the door and a friendly chat with a deputy/officer.
If I got a phone call about some non-existent "incident" at my residence I'd give them the true story. When the sheriff's deputy arrived I'd invite him or her in to see for themselves, have a cup of coffee and a chat, and thank them for their rational response.
SWAT-ing is well enough known that I think law enforcement everywhere has to be suspicious of any call that is trying to elicit a forceful entry into an address that has no history of any kind of crime.
As with so many politicians, getting publicity to gain re-election is often their primary concern; so Rep. Clark has generated a federal issue here out of a local issue to gain publicity. It would not be at all surprising if she (or a co-conspirator) called in the SWAT on her home herself. Like we’ve seen in a multitude of racial and homosexual “incidents, Hoaxes-R-Us stays busy.
“But I’m unclear how this is a federal issue that requires federal legislation.”
Maybe something related to the use of a telephone to do it, especially if it’s interstate. What constitutes “wire fraud?”
Today’s millenials are too big of pussies to actually take care of a problem in person, so it is no surprise that they resort to calling the police on someone who looked at them funny, said something that wasn’t flattering, or did one of the potentially infinite number of things which offends Millenials.
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