Tyler Barriss plans to change not-guilty plea to swatting charges in Kansas
Tyler Barriss plans to change his not-guilty plea to federal charges filed in Kansas related to a hoax phone call that led police to fatally shoot 28-year-old Andrew Finch in December.
A notation in Barriss’ court file says he notified the court Monday that “he intends to change his plea” during a hearing set for Nov. 13 before U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren. A change of plea hearing is held when a defendant who’s previously pleaded not guilty has decided to admit to charges instead of going to trial.
Barriss, 25, pleaded not guilty on Oct. 1 to a 12-count superseding indictment accusing him of making false/hoax reports to emergency services, cyberstalking, making interstate threats, wire fraud and conspiracy. Monday’s notation didn’t make clear whether Barriss might change his plea to all 12 counts next month.
Barriss’ federal public defender, Rich Federico, declined to comment when reached by phone Monday afternoon.
Barriss is accused of phoning in a fake murder and hostage situation at 1033 W. McCormick, in south Wichita, on Dec. 28, 2017, from a South Los Angeles library to settle a feud between two online gamers fighting over a Call of Duty match with a $1.50 wager.
Believing the call was real, Wichita police Officer Justin Rapp shot Finch from across the street after Finch opened the door to see why police lights were flashing outside. There was no hostage negotiator or police SWAT team on scene.
Police have said Finch didn’t comply with officer commands to put his hands up before Rapp fired. Finch, a father of two, was unarmed.
The Kansas case is among a growing number of charges Barriss is facing for allegedly making false emergency calls, a practice known as swatting.
Last week, federal prosecutors in California filed 46 new charges against Barriss alleging he made fake bomb threats and reported fake shootings and other violence at schools and other locations across the country between September 2014 and December 2017. Barriss intends to plead guilty in that case, The Eagle previously reported.
In May, Barriss was charged with phoning in bomb threats to two government buildings in Washington D.C.: the Federal Communications Commission headquarters and the J. Edgar Hoover Building, which is home to the FBI’s headquarters.
He is also facing charges in Sedgwick County District Court related to Finch’s death, including involuntary manslaughter. Barriss pleaded not guilty in that case in June.
This story was originally published October 29, 2018 at 5:29 PM.