Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) | Georgia.gov
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) | Georgia.gov
Georgia's Lieutenant Governor, Burt Jones (R), recently responded to a "swatting" incident that targeted his home and office. In a statement, he expressed his determination to resist intimidation, collaborate with law enforcement in pursuing the individuals responsible, and reaffirmed his stance against such tactics.
In his statement, Jones recounted the events: "Last night, my home was "swatted"," he said. "This morning, a bomb threat was called to my office. Thankfully everyone is safe, and I commend our local law enforcement officers for their professionalism." He continued by asserting his resilience: "Let me be clear — I will not be intimidated by those attempting to silence me."
Fox 5 Atlanta explains that 'Swatting' is a criminal trend involving false emergency reports which trigger armed law enforcement responses. Typically, SWAT teams are deployed to an unsuspecting individual's location based on fabricated severe situations like bomb threats or hostage crises. The term "swatting" originates from specialized law enforcement units known as "SWAT". Advocates argue for classifying swatting as a form of terrorism due to its potential for intimidation and genuine harm.
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) reported being targeted in a fake emergency call for the eighth time on Christmas Day, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. A man in New York allegedly made a false call to the Georgia suicide hotline claiming a shooting incident at Greene's residence. This prompted police response but no arrests have been made so far. Following this news, Georgia politicians including Senator John Albers (R-Dist. 56), Kim Jackson (D-Dist. 41), Kay Kirkpatrick (R-Dist. 32), and Clint Dixon (R-Dist. 45) faced similar fake emergency calls.
According to Fox News, Greene plans to introduce legislation targeting "swatting", pledging stricter penalties against those falsely summoning emergency services to specific locations. She stated: "I will be introducing legislation to make it much easier for law enforcement to arrest and prosecutors to prosecute these criminals."
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr condemned the recent swatting incidents in a statement. He said: "The recent swatting incidents are detestable. Regardless of whether the targets are public officials, private citizens, Republicans or Democrats, these are not harmless pranks – they are dangerous crimes that could result in serious injury to all involved. Anytime law enforcement has to pursue a hoax, they are taken away from keeping people safe. My office has communicated with our law enforcement partners and stands ready to assist as appropriate."
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