Three months after deadly Wichita shooting, lawmakers approve anti-swatting bill
Three months after a Wichita man was fatally shot in a deadly swatting call, Kansas lawmakers have approved tougher penalties for false calls to police.
The bill makes false calls that result in death a felony comparable to second-degree murder. Any false call for emergency help would be at least a misdemeanor, and become a felony if the person making the call uses a false identity or electronically masks their identity.
The bill is named the Andrew Finch Act, after the man shot and killed by Wichita police as they responded in December to what they thought was a hostage situation. But there were no hostages — police had responded to a false call, known as swatting.
Swatting happens when someone makes a call to a police department with a false story of an ongoing crime — often with killing or hostages involved — in an attempt to draw a large number of police officers to a particular address.
“Perhaps passing this bill will give her a little bit of peace,” Sen. Lynn Rogers, D-Wichita, said of Finch’s mother, Lisa Finch, who has championed the legislation.
The bill is headed to Gov. Jeff Colyer after the Legislature passed it on Tuesday. The Senate approved House Bill 2581 on a 40-0 vote. The House approved it unanimously in February.
A spokesman for Colyer didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The governor has 10 days after receiving legislation to sign or veto it.
Tyler Barriss, 25, of Los Angeles, has been charged with manslaughter in Finch’s death. He is accused of making a bogus call, reporting a made-up murder and hostage situation that prompted police to respond to Finch’s home.
Rogers read a statement from Lisa Finch on the Senate floor: “He loved his children the most and he was dedicated to making sure his family and the others he let into his life were comfortable and felt safe. He was everyone’s protector.”
The bill, Rogers said, “could be the only good thing” to come out of the situation.
The bill grew out of bipartisan work between Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, and Rep. John Whitmer, R-Wichita, along with Rep. Patty Markley, R-Overland Park. A non-lethal swatting incident took place in Markley’s district earlier this year.
“That is absolutely the worst-case scenario, a horror story,” Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson, said of Finch’s death.
Wilborn carried the bill on the Senate floor.
In Congress, U.S. Rep. Ron Estes has introduced a bill that would increase the severity of punishment for people who participate in swatting. Estes’ bill would provide for up to 20 years in prison if someone is seriously hurt because of swatting.
Contributing: Nichole Manna
This story was originally published March 27, 2018 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Three months after deadly Wichita shooting, lawmakers approve anti-swatting bill."