GUILTY KS - Andrew Finch, 28, killed by LE in 'swatting' prank, Wichita, 28 Dec 2017 *civil trial 2022*

[PaulR]

Great post. Thank you and thank you on behalf of those LE everywhere who put their lives on the line every time they put on a uniform.

And for those of you who want to criticize a police officer doing their duty, if you ever have a gun pointed at your head, call a protester to save you.

JMO

No guns were pointed at anyone's head. Well, except the victim.

 

[Caffeine]

It seems we are forgetting the root of this was some idiot crafting an elaborate and deadly prank, which was malicious and done without any regard for human life.

The officer shooting the supposed suspect is to blame as well, but that is the secondary problem here. Had the prankster not got the ball rolling we never would have got this far.

With that said, I don't think the officer simply executed this man in cold blood. Sure, he was probably on edge given the nature of the call and possibly made the decision to pull the trigger prematurely but when it's all said and done, they simply want to go home and live to see tomorrow too.

Based in the details of the call they were responding to, this didn't appear to be a situation to be taken lightly or approached with a lax demeanor. This could have very well been a life or death situation, unfortunately they didn't have the benefit of knowing it was just a prank call.

Yes, officers need to be retrained on how they handle stuff like this. However, *******s who orchestrate "swatting" situations like this need to be locked away indefinitely or this will continue to happen.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

I am from the UK and the police are not armed and innocent people don’t have to live in fear that they will randomly be murdered for doing absolutely nothing wrong by people who are supposed to protect them.

From a newspaper article


The Metropolitan Police carried out some 3,300 deployments involving firearms in 2016. They didn't fire a single shot at a suspect.

It's a world away from the United States, where cops killed 1,092 people in 2016, according to figures compiled by The Guardian.

BBM

How about them having to live in fear of being randomly killed by, say, A family member or a robber, or maybe a gang member, or God forbid, a terrorist?

Who do the people in the UK call in any of those situations? The dog catcher?

Just saying.

 

[Lilibet]

Tyler Barriss, the guy who made the "swatting" hoax call, was actually interviewed by DramaAlert before he was arrested. To say he was nonchalant about the whole thing is an understatement! I expected a ghetto smack talker, but his speech is clear, calm and straightforward -- which makes everything even more bizarre!

Start watching the Youtube at 4:50 for the interview:

[video=youtube;cCHOI39nJPM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCHOI39nJPM[/video]

Everyone should listen to this horrible human being. Nonchalant is definitely an understatement. HE is the one who put LE in this situation. But he’s not guilty because he didn’t pull the trigger. Oh, and someone else asked him to do the swatting so there are others who are guilty too. Can we pile on this guy for a change?

 

[Woodland]

BBM

How about them having to live in fear of being randomly killed by, say, A family member or a robber, or maybe a gang member, or God forbid, a terrorist?

Who do the people in the UK call in any of those situations? The dog catcher?

Just saying.

By the same token, did the cop that fired first in this case without asking questions have a fear that one of the 312 million guns in the US was present and he might be shot?

Fear is fear imo.

 

[mrsobrien]

https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...-led-deadly-police-shooting-kansas/992265001/

Barriss is accused of making the swatting call after getting into a dispute with a gamer while playing Call of Duty. He gave police the address he believed to be the other gamer's, officials say.

However, the address given to authorities led them to the doorstep of Finch, who was not part of the online gaming community, according to his family.

This just floors me. Mr. Finch could have had no idea this was coming, no clue!

I want more info on the other idiots involved, specifically the person that provided Barriss with the address. Did that person know the victim? Was the address chosen at random?

 

[Gardenista]

I am from the UK and the police are not armed and innocent people don’t have to live in fear that they will randomly be murdered for doing absolutely nothing wrong by people who are supposed to protect them.

From a newspaper article


The Metropolitan Police carried out some 3,300 deployments involving firearms in 2016. They didn't fire a single shot at a suspect.

It's a world away from the United States, where cops killed 1,092 people in 2016, according to figures compiled by The Guardian.

The UK is no paragon of virtue when it comes to LE.

 

[Gardenista]

BBM

How about them having to live in fear of being randomly killed by, say, A family member or a robber, or maybe a gang member, or God forbid, a terrorist?

Who do the people in the UK call in any of those situations? The dog catcher?

Just saying.

We've seen what happens during all the UK terror attacks w/ unarmed police. I'll pass.

 

[Lilibet]

Soooooo...back to this particular case. If LE finds out who provided this address to Barriss I hope there will be another arrest. Surely it wasn’t a random address. I also foresee civil suits against all involved.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

By the same token, did the cop that fired first in this case without asking questions have a fear that one of the 312 million guns in the US was present and he might be shot?

Fear is fear imo.

Oh I am absolutely sure that he did.

Especially as the 911 caller informed dispatch that the man did in fact have a gun and had already killed his father and had possibly killed his mother and siblings.

So yes, I am absolutely sure that the police officer who shot had what was told to him by dispatch in the forefront of his mind.

So who is the bad guy here?

Not the man who was shot and killed.

Not the policeman who shot and killed him because he had been told the suspect was armed and dangerous.

Or wait. Here is a novel idea. How about we blame the morally bankrupt, completely unremorseful Mr. Tyler Barriss who cluelessly claims that he did not kill anyone.

 

[angelainwi]

Tyler Barriss, the guy who made the "swatting" hoax call, was actually interviewed by DramaAlert before he was arrested. To say he was nonchalant about the whole thing is an understatement! I expected a ghetto smack talker, but his speech is clear, calm and straightforward -- which makes everything even more bizarre!

Start watching the Youtube at 4:50 for the interview:

[video=youtube;cCHOI39nJPM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCHOI39nJPM[/video]

I'm wondering how far he is on the spectrum since he really doesn't seem to have a clue

 

[Jax49]

RIP Mr. Finch.

Condolences to the family. They must be suffering horribly, knowing he didn't have to die.

moo

 

[Jennifer17]

BBM

How about them having to live in fear of being randomly killed by, say, A family member or a robber, or maybe a gang member, or God forbid, a terrorist?

Who do the people in the UK call in any of those situations? The dog catcher?

Just saying.

No, they don't call the dog catcher. They call the police who have been properly trained in conflict resolution.

 

[K_Z]

Tyler Raj Barriss-- charged with making bomb threats/ fake 911 calls to TV station in 2015:

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/12/california_man_arrested_after.html

Court records show Barriss was convicted in 2016 on two counts of making a false bomb report to a TV station in Glendale, California, and sent to Los Angeles County jail for two years. Jail records show he was released in January.

He was living in a "transitional recovery center".

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...tting-preceded-deadly-police-shooting-n833576

http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/30/m...ed-to-fatal-police-shooting-of-kansas-father/

Tyler Barriss, a 25-year old from South Los Angeles, was taken into custody Friday night, according to the local ABC News affiliate. (ABC also notes that "Glendale police arrested a 22-year-old man with the same name for making bomb threats to KABC-TV" back in 2015.) NBC News, speaking to unnamed local "sources" in LA, says that Barriss "had been living at a transitional recovery center."

Very disturbed young man-- criminally disturbed. Belongs in prison, IMO. Should be charged, at a minimum, with manslaughter, preferably 2nd degree murder, with lifelong supervision once released. He's a mess, and definitely dangerous.

 

[Sillybilly]

Please get back on track with discussing this case. It has nothing to do with LE in the UK or the other 363+/- million people in the USA ... this thread is dedicated to discussion of the case of Andrew Finch.

Websleuths is generally pro LE, so if you wish to discuss the actions of THIS officer in THIS case, please do ... but do it in a civilized and respectful fashion rather than generalized bashing of law enforcement anywhere and everywhere, or gnashing your teeth at your fellow members.

Thank you.

 

[K_Z]

Here's more info about Tyler Raj Barriss' 2015 bomb threats.

http://www.latimes.com/socal/glenda...mb-threats-to-kabc-studio-20151015-story.html

A 22-year-old Glendale man was charged Thursday with making false bomb threats to ABC7 in Glendale, forcing the studio to evacuate, officials said.

Tyler Raj Barriss pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of making a false report of a bomb to an agency or business, one felony count of making criminal threats and one misdemeanor count of dissuading a witness from reporting a crime, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

He was facing 4 1/2 years in prison. California gave him 2. Notice that he made the bomb threats 10 days apart. There are indications online that he had a juvenile criminal record, as well-- take that as "rumor".

 

[K_Z]

Certainly there is a real problem with how this all played out from the actions of the police. We need to review policies and procedures, and figure out where the police actions should have been different. And that will happen, and as these terror hoaxes have become unfortunately more common, new guidelines will be developed. That's not letting the police off the hook-- but it's far too early to eagerly "blame" police for what this lunatic set in motion.

Let's put the real blame squarely where it belongs--on Tyler Raj Barriss, who went out of his way to call in a completely false, highly detailed, shooting and hostage situation. He knew where to call, and what to say, to ensure a robust response. He needs 30-40 years in prison for that, IMO.

Until we learn more about the police response, it's far too early to say what should be done to the officer. I'm pretty certain he's on administrative leave. The evaluation of the police response needs to play out over months, unfortunately.

I'd like to see the penalties for this kind of intentional terroristic false reports be elevated with *substantial* prison time mandatory. These are not "pranks"-- it's terroristic behavior on the part of the one making the false reports. It's not a joke-- it's a serious crime. IMO, just as serious as if Barriss pulled the trigger himself and killed Finch.

 

[RAISINISBACK]

Certainly there is a real problem with how this all played out from the actions of the police. We need to review policies and procedures, and figure out where the police actions should have been different. And that will happen, and as these terror hoaxes have become unfortunately more common, new guidelines will be developed. That's not letting the police off the hook-- but it's far too early to eagerly "blame" police for what this lunatic set in motion.

Let's put the real blame squarely where it belongs--on Tyler Raj Barriss, who went out of his way to call in a completely false, highly detailed, shooting and hostage situation. He knew where to call, and what to say, to ensure a robust response. He needs 30-40 years in prison for that, IMO.

Until we learn more about the police response, it's far too early to say what should be done to the officer. I'm pretty certain he's on administrative leave. The evaluation of the police response needs to play out over months, unfortunately.

I'd like to see the penalties for this kind of intentional terroristic false reports be elevated with *substantial* prison time mandatory. These are not "pranks"-- it's terroristic behavior on the part of the one making the false reports. It's not a joke-- it's a serious crime. IMO, just as serious as if Barriss pulled the trigger himself and killed Finch.

I agree. It is a form of online bullying and almost borders on domestic terrorism. How the police did or did not respond should not even be considered. What should be considered is passing a law calling this "swatting" online bullying and give out some really stiff penalties for it.

 

[Jax49]

I agree. It is a form of online bullying and almost borders on domestic terrorism. How the police did or did not respond should not even be considered. What should be considered is passing a law calling this "swatting" online bullying and give out some really stiff penalties for it.

Totally agree regarding stiff penalties for anyone who makes a fake call that results in injury or death.

But, I cannot give a law enforcement officer who shoots and kills an innocent, unarmed civilian a free pass and not even consider their actions. He or she is the one who pulled the trigger.

moo

 

[perfectingpink]

Kansas law makes some false police calls felony

[....]

In Kansas, it is a misdemeanor to make a false call for emergency, fire or police services. It's a felony to use an electronic device or software to conceal the caller's identity.

It's a more severe felony if the call falsely claims to be about violent crime or an immediate danger to a person. While a 13-month prison sentence is possible, the presumed sentence is probation.

http://www.kake.com/story/37160973/kansas-law-makes-some-false-police-calls-felony