"Swatting" guy charged with manslaughter

[mundame]

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man accused of making a hoax emergency call that led to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man in Kansas was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter.....When police responded to the address, an officer fatally shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened his door. Police have said he moved a hand toward his waistband and an officer, fearing he was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot and killed him. Finch was unarmed.

Barris has a history of making such hoax calls, which are sometimes called "swatting."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-man-charged-kansas-fatal-hoax-call-222622568.html


There are some odd things about the many articles on this incident. One is that no one confirms that the guy shot was actually the same guy that the hoaxer had the online quarrel with. (He was a young father in a nuclear family with two young children in the house! It's such a sad situation.)

Another issue was that the hoaxer called from California to set up a hoax in Kansas: couldn't the police tell the call, which purported to be coming from the Kansas address the caller gave, was not from in-state???

Another issue was that this bad guy had a habit of doing this: he had done SEVERAL swatting calls. This is okay with police? they can't catch him, can't identify him? Maybe not! Something like that happened to me.

[Gunny]

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A California man accused of making a hoax emergency call that led to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man in Kansas was charged Friday with involuntary manslaughter.....When police responded to the address, an officer fatally shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened his door. Police have said he moved a hand toward his waistband and an officer, fearing he was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot and killed him. Finch was unarmed.

Barris has a history of making such hoax calls, which are sometimes called "swatting."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/california-man-charged-kansas-fatal-hoax-call-222622568.html


There are some odd things about the many articles on this incident. One is that no one confirms that the guy shot was actually the same guy that the hoaxer had the online quarrel with. (He was a young father in a nuclear family with two young children in the house! It's such a sad situation.)

Another issue was that the hoaxer called from California to set up a hoax in Kansas: couldn't the police tell the call, which purported to be coming from the Kansas address the caller gave, was not from in-state???

Another issue was that this bad guy had a habit of doing this: he had done SEVERAL swatting calls. This is okay with police? they can't catch him, can't identify him? Maybe not! Something like that happened to me.I doubt much attention is paid to originating phone numbers anymore. I've lived in quite a few places with a San Antonio area code. If you keep your phone and number, it goes with.

I think they should up the charge to voluntary manslaughter at least. Involuntary manslaughter means he didn't mean for it to happen. Maybe not, but from where I sit, if you know or suspect your actions can or will harm someone else, that is NOT "involuntary". He made a conscious decision to make the call.