Destiny developer startled awake by police, sheriff's helicopter after faked 911 call

[Jtbrig7390]

http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/7/717...stiny-swatting

olice officers and a sheriff's helicopter descended upon a Bungie executive's home early Thursday morning in Sammamish, Washington, after a faked 911 call led them to believe there were hostages inside and explosives in the yard, KOMO News reports.

"The caller said he had an assault rifle and he had placed explosives in the yard and he was holding a family hostage," Nathan Elledge, chief of police at the Sammamish Police Department, told the television station. "He wanted $20,000 to release the family."

The 4 a.m. response lasted about 45 minutes before law enforcement was able to determine that the call was fake. The home belongs to an unnamed "high-up executive" at Bungie, developer of Destiny. Detectives later figured out that the original call didn't come from the home but was instead made by a computer.

A sheriff's deputy said that while they were able to determine no one was in the house holding the family hostage, they haven't yet figured out where the call came from. If caught, the caller faces up to a year in jail and $5,000 fine.

"This is not a game. This is a very serious response that could've had serious consequences and we're just fortunate that didn't happen this time," Elledge told the television station. "It puts officers' lives at risk when you respond to something this serious. It puts the citizens' lives at risk."

Why in the hell would someone do this. These types of trolls need to come to a end. The shit isn't funny and they put real lives at risk when they do something like this.

I know I don't add much to the topic at hand but its fucken annoying to see shit like this all because someone may not like the person or the game they made.

[chazus]

I find it both hilarious, and extremely upsetting, that in this day and age we still can't find out where a call came from easily, using government supplied resources.

[chazus]

I'm honestly pretty surprised no one has gotten killed or seriously injured by one of these pranks..

Several people have been injured, arrested, and I think even a few killed.

[Priestiality]

Teens and Tweens are, generally speaking, fucking stupid. /thread

[Kaganfindel]

I think a $5,000 fine is pretty generous, considering the cost to taxpayers to mobilize a raid (and the potential opportunity cost in actual crime prevention).

[oplawlz]

I think a $5,000 fine is pretty generous, considering the cost to taxpayers to mobilize a raid (and the potential opportunity cost in actual crime prevention).

Way too low. Making a false police call with malicious intent should be a felony.

[Blueobelisk]

I think a $5,000 fine is pretty generous, considering the cost to taxpayers to mobilize a raid (and the potential opportunity cost in actual crime prevention).

20 years in jail minimum should be what the caller faces.

[Xeones]

A year and $5000? Is this a joke? They literally spent thousands on that raid and who knows how many people had their lives at risk. This is a serious offense and should carry a fine for the entire expenditure of the police and jail time equivalent to manslaughter.

[DiscoGhost]

the first thought is: why mobilize (from the sounds of it) an entire army on a phone call?

no one thought to check where the call came from first?
then it wasnt investigated with eyes on the ground of what or who was physically onsite?

you could have avoided this all with someone from law enforcement calling the location to confirm their demands or requirements.

[Edge-]

the first thought is: why mobilize (from the sounds of it) an entire army on a phone call? no one thought to check where the call came from first. and then it was investigated with eyes on the of what or who was physically onsite? you could have avoided this all with someone from law enforcement calling the location to confirm their demands or requirements.

Generally, emergency services treats all calls they receive as serious. Not to do so could lead to the loss of life in many situations.

[Raven]

I find it both hilarious, and extremely upsetting, that in this day and age we still can't find out where a call came from easily, using government supplied resources.

Maybe becouse if they where to trace the call without a warrant people would cry and throw tantrums about their rights being violated.

[Darknessvamp]

Seems someone at Activision isn't happy about Destiny's earning reports from the last month and took Advanced Warfare too far. Though seriously, it's messed up of someone to call an unjustified Police Raid down on a person.

[Video Games]

These are always funny. I think the internet is getting too big but I am interested in how far these people are gonna take these pranks.

[Erolian]

I shouldn't laugh at this but I can't help it. Sucks for that guy, glad nobody died.

[Hupriest]

Unfortunately, this isn't going to stop until something goes horribly wrong I'm afraid.