Northampton Homeowners ‘Swatted,’ Report Filed With FBI: Police

NORTHAMPTON, PA - Authorities are investigating a prank caller pretending to be a Northampton homeowner claiming he shot his wife, police said.

Northampton patrols responded to Ward Court on Sunday in response to the call, police said in a blotter statement.

“Once contact was made [with the homeowners], it was clear to patrol that this was a case of ‘swatting,’” Northampton police said. “The occupants were safe and unaware of any calls made.”

An attempt to track down the originating phone number and caller was unsuccessful, Northampton police said.

A report will be forwarded to the FBI for further investigation.

Merriam-Webster defines swatting as “to make a false report of an ongoing serious crime in order to elicit a response from law enforcement (such as the dispatch of a SWAT unit).”

These incidents can turn dangerous and/or deadly, the FBI points out: A police officer was injured in a car accident during an emergency response that turned out to be a swatting incident. Unsuspecting victims—caught off guard when SWAT teams come to their doorstep—have suffered mild heart attacks. In 2020, one “swatting” recipient, a 60-year-old man from Tennessee, died of a heart attack during the police response.

At least one police officer has shot an unsuspecting civilian in a swatting incident.