(11-6-23) Saturday Night at 10:40 pm Van Wert Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a residence on German Church Road in Harrison Township on a report of a shooting. Deputies arrived in the area and contacted the property owners. The report was found to be a Swatting incident.

Swatting is a phenomenon that involves a false report being made, via an incoming call. These hoax calls typically are received by a dispatch, or communication center, and are intended to generate a response by law enforcement and first responders. Swatting calls include, but are not limited to, reports of active shooters, bomb threats, or domestic incidents. Swatting calls target public locations such as schools and retail stores, as well as private residences, etc. Often, swatters will use various technologies to hide their true identity and location. Swatting is of concern as it can result in exhaustion of resources. Additionally, swatting calls can result in injury at targeted locations as responders may rush to get to the scene, or believe they are entering a violent situation.

Swatting Incidents

Swatting can have deadly consequences. In 2021, Mark Herring (60) died of a heart attack during a police response to his Tennessee home caused by a fraudulent report of a shooting.

And in 2017, a Wichita police officer — who didn’t realize a caller had falsely reported a homicide and hostage situation at the home of Andrew Finch — killed Finch, 28.