In an increasingly divided political climate, the practice of “swatting” has become more prevalent. Politicians, judges and other high-profile people have been targeted. So have those less widely known. For example, at the beginning of the year, an assistant principal at a Prince Georges County high school was swatted. Although no one was home when police arrived, she says she was terrified to find them surrounding her property and inside it when she returned.
Swatting typically involves falsely reporting a crime or someone in imminent danger with the intent of getting law enforcement to respond in force to a particular location. It’s called “swatting” after the specially trained SWAT teams that many police departments have to handle particularly dangerous or exceptional situations.
While some people may do it as a prank, it can result in serious and fatal injuries both to the victims of the hoax and law enforcement. Police who have been informed that there are intruders in a home or that someone is holding hostages may not be able to determine what the real situation is until it’s too late.
The offense and the consequences
Last October, Maryland enacted the Antiswatting Act of 2023. It prohibits people from “making or causing to be made a false statement, report, or complaint to a governmental emergency report recipient with reckless disregard of causing bodily harm….”
The crime is a misdemeanor that can be punished by up to three years behind bars and a $2,000 fine if no one is injured. If someone is injured or killed as the result of the false report, it can be charged as a felony, punishable by up to a decade in prison and a fine of up to $20,000. Victims can also hold those who called in the false report civilly liable as well.
Note that for minors, a first-time violation of this law is considered a civil offense. What’s crucial to understand is that whatever someone’s motives for doing this, there’s no way to predict what will happen when police arrive on the scene. That’s why the legal consequences can be so serious. If you or a loved one has been charged with swatting, it’s crucial to take the matter seriously. It’s important to get legal guidance as soon as possible.