Kansas passes 'anti-swatting' bill in light of December police shooting
Anyone making a swatting call that results in injury will face a minimum of 10 years in prison.
The Kansas senate has passed an "anti-swatting" bill named after Andrew Finch, the 28-year-old who police shot in December after receiving a false report of a murder and hostage situation at his home.
The police visit was a result of a swatting, a "prank" whereby an aggrieved gamer calls in a false police report of a serious crime in order to trigger an armed response. Finch did not play games himself, and reports at the time suggested that the perpetrator wrongly targeted his address believing that somebody else lived there.
The Andrew T. Finch anti-swatting bill, if approved by Governor Jeff Colyer, would mean that anyone placing a swatting call that results in death or extreme injury could face between 10 and 41 years in prison, depending on their criminal history.
Finch's mother, Lisa Finch, told KSN that she was "very happy" that the bill had passed. "It is amazing to me. I'm very happy that it's named after my son. If it prevents even one tragedy like this happening to another family, that will be amazing."
Thanks, Destructoid.
PC Gamer Newsletter
Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors.
Samuel Horti is a long-time freelance writer for PC Gamer based in the UK, who loves RPGs and making long lists of games he'll never have time to play.
Steam closes refund policy loophole, finally comes up with a name for the thing where you can play a game early if you pre-order
Embracer's CEO says 'I'm sure I deserve a lot of criticism' as he reflects on a company split three ways—but maintains that every 'key entrepreneur and CEO' believed in its 'mission'