[USA] - An innocent and unarmed man was shot dead by police Thursday after a "swatting" prank led authorities to a home in Kansas, officials say.
A feud between two Call of Duty game players sparked the hoax call. However, the address given to police led them to the doorstep of 28-year-old Andrew Finch, who was not part of the online gaming community, police say.
"Due to the actions of a prankster, we have an innocent victim," Wichita police Deputy Chief Troy Livingston said during a press conference Friday.
Officers responded to a report of a gunman holding his mother, brother and sister hostage after shooting his father in the head Thursday night, Livingston said.
"That was the information we were working off of," he told the Wichita Eagle.
More: Dangerous 'swatting' prank terrorizes gamer's family
Livingston added that authorities "got into position" when they arrived at the home, ready for a hostage situation.
The 28-year-old, identified by his family as Andrew Finch, went to the door to see what was going on, the Eagle reported.
"As he came to the door, one of our officers discharged his weapon," Livingston said.
Officers had instructed Finch to put his hands up, but he lowered them several times, Livingston said. One officer then took a shot because he "feared for officer's safety," Livingston said.
The father of two was taken to a hospital. He later died.
Police said he was unarmed.
Officers soon learned that no one in the house had a gunshot wound and that there wasn’t a hostage situation.
"What gives the cops the right to open fire?" Finch's mother asked the Wichita Eagle. “Why didn’t they give him the same warning they gave us? That cop murdered my son over a false report.�
More than a dozen gamers told the Eagle that a feud between two Call of Duty players sparked the swatting call.
The gamers were arguing when one threatened to target the other. The intended target gave the other gamer a "fake" address, according to Twitter posts.
"We believe this case is an act of swatting," Livingston confirmed Friday.
Several social media users placed blame on one gamer, who tweeted about the incident.
"I DIDNT GET ANYONE KILLED BECAUSE I DIDNT DISCHARGE A WEAPON AND BEING A SWAT MEMBER ISNT MY PROFESSION," the gamer tweeted. The account was suspended overnight.
Finch's family believes whoever made the call should be held accountable.
"The person who made the phone call took my nephew, her son, two kids’ father," the victim’s aunt, Lorrie Hernandez-Caballero told the Wichita Eagle. "How does it feel to be a murderer? I can’t believe people do this on purpose."
Swatting is a prank where someone calls authorities to report a fake emergency — often a hostage situation or active shooter — with the intent of drawing a "SWAT team" response to a location.
The dangerous prank has become popular nationwide among gamers, who use caller ID spoofing or other techniques to disguise their phone numbers, according to 911.gov.
"Without that false phone call we wouldn't have been there," Livingston said.
The officer who shot and killed Finch was identified as a veteran of more than 7 years with the police department. He was be placed on administrative paid leave pending investigation.
No arrests have been made so far.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...police-after-swatting-prank-kansas/991665001/
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Un wants to turn the art of kimchi-making into a science. And the North Korean leader is putting his money where his mouth is.
On the outskirts of Pyongyang, surrounded by snow-covered farms and greenhouses, stands one of Kim's latest pet projects, the Ryugyong Kimchi Factory, which produces 4,200 tons of the iconic Korean pickled vegetable dish a year. The shiny new facility replaces an older factory and opened in June last year after getting Kim's final seal of approval, according to manager Paek Mi Hye.
The factory is intended to showcase Kim's efforts to boost North Korea's domestic economy and produce more, and better, consumer products. His strategy, known as "byungjin," aims to simultaneously develop the national economy and North Korea's nuclear weapons program.
https://sg.yahoo.com/news/secret-sauce-kim-jong-un-011142161.html
This reminds Singaporeans of the weigh-in fiasco that emotionally upset Malaysian opponent Ann Osman, pissed off the One Championship Chairman Chatri Sityodtong, and saw the end of Singaporean Sherilyn Lim's MMA career.
http://contented.cc/2014/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-mma-one-fc-fighter-sherilyn-lim/
Video : https://www.facebook.com/FabricationsAboutThePAP/videos/1560942703961732/
Article : http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/man-29-arrested-for-stabbing-26-year-old-wife-in-geylang
https://www.facebook.com/todayonline/videos/10155466917462572/
N Korean nuclear scientist takes own life after 'failing to defect'
http://www.asiaone.com/asia/n-korean-nuclear-scientist-takes-own-life-after-failing-defect
Oops, wrong Singaporean... this one then correct...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUbx-AcDgXo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhGnuWwpNxI
NameWee's tribute to Thailand :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaZ5eV9BEX8
NameWee's not-so-flattering tribute to Singapore (among other targets of his criticisms) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvDx4951JMw
NameWee's tribute to JackNeo :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ZDypwI1Gc
NameWee's tribute to his home country Malaysia :
"The entire mainland of the USA is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality," he said, according to a CNN translation of his speech.
He also declared that his country is "a responsible nuclear nation that loves peace" and told his citizens that "the US cannot wage a war" against it.
"As long as there's no aggression against us, we do not intend to use nuclear powers," Kim added.
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/31/asia/kim-jong-un-new-year-address-nuclear/index.html
There is no simple right and wrong. Both make valid points. There is increasing medical evidence that aluminium contributes to brain damage. What Dr David Gorski disagrees with, is whether the aluminium in vaccines is a significant source of aluminium toxicity (since some argue that aluminium exposure from foods and environment, is even worse than from vaccines), and therefore whether the risks of vaccinations outweigh the rewards.
Article : http://statestimesreview.com/2018/01/01/my-2018-wish-lee-hsien-loong-to-get-terminal-cancer/
476 people commented on this article on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/STReview/posts/1973431522875029
https://mothership.sg/2018/01/goh-chok-tong-next-prime-minister-singapore/
https://www.prolificskins.com/single-post/2017/12/27/So-very-burnt-out-and-I-am-only-in-my-mid-30s