by Sharelle Burt
January 1, 2024
We’re glad everyone’s safe.
Georgia lawmakers are under a massive “swatting” attack.
State Senator Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain) received a swatting call to her DeKalb County home on Dec. 26.
Swatting happens after an emergency call to law enforcement is made to someone else’s house on false pretenses. In a statement, Jackson said she is thankful for the responsiveness of officers. “Dekalb County Chief of Police Mirtha Ramos and her team of investigators are working diligently to find the person who made the call. I’m grateful for the responsiveness of both Chief Ramos and Sheriff Melody Maddox to this situation,” she wrote.
“I am especially thankful for Sgt. Miller, who was the first officer that I encountered. He listened, was respectful, and immediately took action to reassure my family of our safety. My wife, son (age 2), and I have resumed celebrating our first holidays together as a new family.”
Jackson is the fifth state lawmaker to fall victim to swatting on Christmas Day or the day after, including four Republican officials. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claims this is the eighth occurrence at her home in Rome. Senator John Albers wasn’t home when police arrived at his home, but his son was. He is pushing for the people behind the calls to be arrested.
“This is a serious crime, and these people who are doing this need to be arrested,” Albers said. “They need to understand the consequences of their actions.”
However, for Georgia state Sen. Clint Dixon, the incident was “quite startling,” he said.
Dixon was home in Buford with his wife and children on Christmas Day when “all of a sudden, I heard her, you know, start yelling, ‘There’s police running at the door.’ She saw on our Ring doorbell,” he said.
Georgia lawmakers aren’t the only ones under attack, as state and city officials across the country have experienced swatting. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost are among the list of victims.
FBI officials have collaborated with local law enforcement agencies creating a national database to track swatting calls since they have proven to cause a greater risk. After officials responded to a hoax call in 2017, Andrew Finch of Wichita, Kansas, was shot and killed by a police officer. The city agreed to pay a $5 million lawsuit settlement in early 2023 to Finch’s two children.
Using resources for fake emergency calls eliminate them for real ones.
