• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Los Angeles man arrested in ‘swatting’ call that preceded fatal police shooting in Kansas

holbritter

holbritter

DP Veteran
Joined
Feb 3, 2017
Messages
24,984
Reaction score
14,222
Location
NY
Gender
Female
Political Leaning
Other
This 'swatting' that is going on is out of control. I can't fathom why people would do this in the first place. Do they really think it's funny? Anyone doing this needs to be charged harshly if they can be caught. When I heard it on the news last night, before they knew who did it, they had reported that over 400 'swatting' calls have been made this year.
What do you think this guy can be charged with?


Los Angeles police arrested a 25-year-old man in a suspected "swatting" hoax 911 call in Kansas that ended in the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man.
The LAPD took Tyler Barriss of Los Angeles into custody in that city on Friday afternoon, on a fugitive warrant stemming from the Thursday evening incident in Kansas, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Police in Wichita fatally shot a man identified by family members as Andrew Finch, 28, after officers responded to a hoax 911 call, police in Kansas said.

The caller claimed his father had been shot in the head, and that he was holding his mother and a sibling at gunpoint, according to police audio played at a press conference in Wichita Friday.

Officers surrounded the home bracing for a hostage situation. When the man identified as Finch went to the door police told him to put his hands up, and an officer fired after the man moved his hand toward the area of his waistband, Wichita Deputy Police Chief Troy Livingston said.
Click to expand...

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tting-preceded-deadly-police-shooting-n833576
 
It should be murder...he's the reason this guy is dead...idiot...
 
holbritter said:
This 'swatting' that is going on is out of control. I can't fathom why people would do this in the first place. Do they really think it's funny? Anyone doing this needs to be charged harshly if they can be caught. When I heard it on the news last night, before they knew who did it, they had reported that over 400 'swatting' calls have been made this year.
What do you think this guy can be charged with?




https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tting-preceded-deadly-police-shooting-n833576
Click to expand...

Hopefully it is something with a 25 to life sentence.
 
The guy should be locked away for 30+ years but I fear it will only be 6. And this guys explanation for why he shouldnt get in trouble screams of sociopath + psychopath + nafarity issues. Also the shooter should be suspended from police work for ambushing the guy instead of declaring lawful response. I know the cop was probably just scared or whatever but homicide is homicide and it definitely wasn't the victims fault.

Swatting should be 30+ years because it shows plotting and extra vindictiveness + creative enough to maybe not get caught. This dude used to also call in bomb threats. He is a psychopathic terrorist with no political goals other than joy of chaos and probably should never be allowed in public again.
 
Manslaughter or murder.
 
holbritter said:
This 'swatting' that is going on is out of control. I can't fathom why people would do this in the first place. Do they really think it's funny? Anyone doing this needs to be charged harshly if they can be caught. When I heard it on the news last night, before they knew who did it, they had reported that over 400 'swatting' calls have been made this year.
What do you think this guy can be charged with?




https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tting-preceded-deadly-police-shooting-n833576
Click to expand...

The same thing that the actual shooter is charged with seems fair. Outside of that, I would say making a false police report. The idea that any anonymous "tip" is grounds for a SWAT execution to eliminate a perceived threat is troubling but to place the entire blame on the hoaxer is a step too far.
 
Last edited:
dirtpoorchris said:
The guy should be locked away for 30+ years but I fear it will only be 6. And this guys explanation for why he shouldnt get in trouble screams of sociopath + psychopath + nafarity issues. Also the shooter should be suspended from police work for ambushing the guy instead of declaring lawful response. I know the cop was probably just scared or whatever but homicide is homicide and it definitely wasn't the victims fault.

Swatting should be 30+ years because it shows plotting and extra vindictiveness + creative enough to maybe not get caught. This dude used to also call in bomb threats. He is a psychopathic terrorist with no political goals other than joy of chaos and probably should never be allowed in public again.
Click to expand...

I am usually among the first to criticize cops for excessive force and unjustified shootings. But this is a really tough situation. They were told the man had hostages. If that was true and they took things more slowly innocent people could die. Of course it wasn’t true and an innocent person died. This might just be one of those near impossible situations for cops.
 
ttwtt78640 said:
The same thing that the actual shooter is charged with seems fair. Outside of that, I would say making a false police report. The idea that any anonymous "tip" is grounds for a SWAT execution to eliminate a perceived threat is troubling but to place the entire blame on the hoaxer is a step too far.
Click to expand...

How about yelling fire, fire, fire in a crowded theater resulting in xx people are trampled and die?
 
Last edited:
ttwtt78640 said:
The same thing that the actual shooter is charged with seems fair. Outside of that, I would say making a false police report. The idea that any anonymous "tip" is grounds for a SWAT execution to eliminate a perceived threat is troubling but to place the entire blame on the hoaxer is a step too far.
Click to expand...

I disagree. The cop was acting under the presumption there was a life-threatening situation going on in the house. A situation invented by the caller thus placing innocent people in a truly life-threatening situation with the police. It wasn't anonymous. They have a caller saying he's at that house:
The caller claimed his father had been shot in the head, and that he was holding his mother and a sibling at gunpoint, according to police audio played at a press conference in Wichita Friday.
Click to expand...

From the transcript of the 911 call:
At 6:18 p.m., an officer working at City Hall received a call from an unknown man who said there was a disturbance with his father. When dispatchers spoke with the caller, he said he got into an argument with his mother and shot his father.

“They were arguing and I shot him in the head, and he’s not breathing anymore,” the caller said.

Asked if he had any weapons on him, the caller said, “Yeah I do.”

He then said he was standing by his mother’s closet holding a black handgun.

“I’m just pointing the gun at them, making sure they stay in the closet,” the caller said.

When the dispatcher asked if he could put the gun down, he said no. He then made further threats.

“I already poured gasoline all over the house, I might just set it on fire,” he told the dispatcher. “Do you have my address correct?”

He then described a one-story house and again said his father wasn’t breathing.
Click to expand...
Police release ?swatting? call, video of man shot to death | The Wichita Eagle

He hung up when the 911 operator asked what race he was.

What part of that are police supposed to question? I don't want the cops sitting around questioning the veracity of a 911 call I make instead of immediately speeding to my house. The hoaxer is utterly responsible for this man's death. Had he not made the call, the guy would still be alive today. Sending deadly force under false pretenses to an innocent person's home was recklessly putting everyone in that house at risk. The prosecutors need to take every step they can to put him away for as long as possible. Reports are included in the various articles that he falsely called in a bomb threat to an L.A. TV station. If he did that too, they have more than enough to reason to throw the book at him. He's a danger to public safety.
 
holbritter said:
This 'swatting' that is going on is out of control. I can't fathom why people would do this in the first place. Do they really think it's funny? Anyone doing this needs to be charged harshly if they can be caught. When I heard it on the news last night, before they knew who did it, they had reported that over 400 'swatting' calls have been made this year.
What do you think this guy can be charged with?




https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tting-preceded-deadly-police-shooting-n833576
Click to expand...

The victim was white. That's the only reason why he is being charged. Granted I'm glad he's being charged at all but we're still a long way from justice with this kind of stuff.
 
Elvira said:
It should be murder...he's the reason this guy is dead...idiot...
Click to expand...

Because it was completely reasonable to expect that whoever lived at that address would be executed by the police for *gasp* coming to their door? The one who fired the fatal shot was just making sure that they came home from their shift so they are not in the least to blame. After all, the evidence of imminent danger was clear - an accused armed murderer and hostage taker was right there in that doorway just like the caller said.
 
Who does this?

25 to life. No doubt about it.
 
Elvira said:
It should be murder...he's the reason this guy is dead...idiot...
Click to expand...


LEOs are the ones that put the dead guy '6 foot under' .............. not the person that mad a phone call .............
 
Skeptic Bob said:
I am usually among the first to criticize cops for excessive force and unjustified shootings. But this is a really tough situation. They were told the man had hostages. If that was true and they took things more slowly innocent people could die. Of course it wasn’t true and an innocent person died. This might just be one of those near impossible situations for cops.
Click to expand...

How about this: When in doubt, don't f*%king shoot! These police shootings will end when officers face harsh penalties for killing innocents.
 
cuban smokes said:
LEOs are the ones that put the dead guy '6 foot under' .............. not the person that mad a phone call .............
Click to expand...
So you're saying the victim would have been killed by the police even if the call hadn't been made?
 
Moon said:
So you're saying the victim would have been killed by the police even if the call hadn't been made?
Click to expand...

The police shouldn't kill innocent people!! That is the ENTIRE problem here.
 
GhostlyJoe said:
How about this: When in doubt, don't f*%king shoot! These police shootings will end when officers face harsh penalties for killing innocents.
Click to expand...
Under what exact circumstances would you allow the police to use deadly force if it were up to you?
 
Moon said:
Under what exact circumstances would you allow the police to use deadly force if it were up to you?
Click to expand...

When they're in clear danger. When there's an identified threat. Not when unarmed people answer the door. Not whenever they feel fear or arousal. Not whenever they can IMAGINE that there might be a the whiff of the possibility of a threat.

Let me flip this: Is there any circumstance where it's NOT OK for cops to shoot an innocent American?
 
Moon said:
From what the police knew, they weren't facing an innocent person.
Click to expand...

Yes they were. He hadn't shown himself to be a threat. They didn't identify an actual threat. They shot first, without investigation, without verifying the call, without verifying anything. They're trigger happy idiots who deserve prison.
 
GhostlyJoe said:
When they're in clear danger. When there's an identified threat. Not when unarmed people answer the door. Not whenever they feel fear or arousal. Not whenever they can IMAGINE that there might be a the whiff of the possibility of a threat.

Let me flip this: Is there any circumstance where it's NOT OK for cops to shoot an innocent American?
Click to expand...
There was an identified threat. How are they supposed to know if someone is unarmed or not?
 
GhostlyJoe said:
Yes they were. He hadn't shown himself to be a threat. They didn't identify an actual threat. They shot first, without investigation, without verifying the call, without verifying anything. They're trigger happy idiots who deserve prison.
Click to expand...

That's kind of a ridiculous standard. If someone calls in a bank robbery, you want the police to verify the call first? How would they do that in that case, or even in the case of the OP?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom