Between the two of us and our families, we have been swatted 14 separate times. Thankfully, none of these instances has resulted in injury to us, our families, or law enforcement officers who are needlessly put in harm’s way.

Each time we’ve been swatted, our brave law enforcement officers wasted vital resources and manpower tending to a call that was meant to stoke fear, chaos, and violence. This type of deranged behavior cannot be allowed to continue. 

For those who are unaware, swatting is the act of anonymously reporting a fake emergency at someone’s home to the police. The intent is to force law enforcement officers to show up at the homes of elected officials, other prominent people, and even everyday citizens to cause chaos. Swatting can have deadly consequences, as in the tragic case of Mark Parkinson in Northwest Georgia in late 2017.