The Crime of ‘Swatting’: Fake 9-1-1 Calls Have Real Consequences

\”Swatting\” is a prank designed to draw a law enforcement response to a hoax victim.

09/03/13

The distraught-sounding man told the 9-1-1 operator he shot a family member and might kill others in the house. A SWAT team was urgently dispatched to the address corresponding to the caller’s phone number. But when the tactical team arrived, ready for a possible violent encounter, they found only a surprised family panicked by the officers at their door.