CNN Contributor Erickson and Family Targeted in Latest 'SWATing' Attack

breitbart.com ^ | 5/28/2012 | breitbart.cem

[TexasNative2000]

The latest tactic from our tolerant friends on the left.

Call 911, pretend to be someone you're not, give the name and address of your target and say there has been a shooting. The SWAT arrives and the target house is in lockdown mode for a couple of hours. Let the intimidation begin.

[silverleaf]

If you are lucky, all they will shoot is your family dog(s)

[Jack Hydrazine]

Did they shoot his dog, ransack his house, and point guns at their children?

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Has Drudge linked to any of this story, yet???

[thethirddegree]

My stepson works as a 911 calltaker in Florida. I thought that when a call comes in, the caller’s phone number appears on the calltaker’s screen.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

This reminds me so much of the tactics $cientology uses against it’s critics. They call it “fair game”.

[TexasNative2000]

The caller’s number does appear unless the outgoing number has a block set on it.

[Clara Lou]

Scum.

But then, I’ve insulted scum, which actually serves a useful purpose in the environment.

[DTogo]

You would think the 911 dispatcher would check the caller ID number with that of the residence at which the alleged shooting took place.

After several "SWAT-ings" police may take actual emergency calls less seriously, for which the Lefty pranksters will never be held responsible.

[certrtwngnut]

The left is truly desperate. We can look for it to get a lot worse. If it was not so dangerous it would be comical.

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

They can ‘spoof’ the number.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID_spoofing

[grumpygresh]

Anyone can spoof a phone number so you can call someone and have a phony caller ID listed. I don’t know if 911 has a way to determine if it’s a spoofed call.

http://www.spoofcard.com

[Dr. Sivana]

I thought that when a call comes in, the caller’s phone number appears on the calltaker’s screen.

For $15, you can get an anonymous cell phone at the local Walmart and assign any name or area code you like.

[wtd]

Back in 2007, an eerily similar case was reported in which the individual initiating the SWATting could have spent up to 18 years in prison.

http://tinyurl.com/7togg5l

In that case, Randal Ellis was actually sentenced to three years in prison for phoning in a false 911 call that led authorities to swarm a Lake Forest house and handcuff innocent homeowners.

Pleading guilty to felonies including false imprisonment by violence and falsely reporting a crime, he also was ordered to pay $14,765 in restitution. Ellis was arrested after hacking into a telephone network and impersonating a caller from a Lake Forest home, saying that he had murdered someone in the house and was threatening to shoot others.

The Sheriff's Department dispatched a SWAT team and surrounded the home with dozens of officers, dogs and a helicopter. As the children of Stacey Cerwin-Bates and Doug Bates slept, Doug Bates thought he heard a prowler outside and grabbed a kitchen knife. When he entered the backyard, deputies armed with assault rifles confronted Bates and handcuffed him and then his wife until officers were able to determine that the report was fake.

Authorities spent more than six months tracking down Ellis. -via Christine Hanley LATimes March 27, 2008

[cuban leaf]

—I thought that when a call comes in, the caller’s phone number appears on the calltaker’s screen.—

Heck, back in the early 90’s we left two of out daughters home alone for a couple of hours (the oldest was 10) and one called 911 as a prank and hung up. The cops showed up and the two girls, thank GOD, had the presence of mind to hide in one of the rooms until the cops left. We saw the footprints in the snow.

I can’t remember the exact age of the girls, but there was a risk that we may have gotten “in trouble” for leaving them unattended.

We have not had a land line since 2003. They would have to subpoena cell company records now just to attempt a cell tower triangulation to get our location. Since there is only one tower near us, that might be a challenge.

[TheThirdRuffian]

“My stepson works as a 911 calltaker in Florida. I thought that when a call comes in, the caller’s phone number appears on the calltaker’s screen.”

It’s painfully easy to spoof caller ID and text message origins.

High school kids do it to pretend to have girlfriends break up with boyfriends, etc.

[BarnacleCenturion]

“The caller’s number does appear”

I believe Erik stated that the commies managed to spoof his phone line.

Somebody in the Obambi administration probably had a hand in this. It won’t be long before bloggers start having mysterious heart attacks while walking their dogs at night.

[cuban leaf]

I wonder how they caught him...

Usually someone doing stuff like that just can’t keep their mouth shut and it is their ultimate undoing.

[silverleaf]

the SWAT terrorists are hijacking a phone number associated with the victims, to make the call look more authentic

This is not a mere prank call. It is a criminal act intended to cause possible injury or death to the victim and his family in the confusion of being stormed unexpectedly by armed police who are expecting to confront violent criminals

Fortunately Erickson was aware of this tactic being used, and supposedly had discussed it with his local police

That is why the guy(s) heading this up (and funded by TIDES foundation/Soros) have done time in prison for domestic terrorism- they are pros

[TurboZamboni]

win/win for leftards:
police go on needless calls cost more $ to roll SWAT = more request for more taxpayer $ to grow The State.

more lawsuits stemming from this means more payouts to the victims= more request for more taxpayer $ to grow The State to cover city budget shortfalls due to lawsuits...