A Milwaukee science fiction author says he’s being terrorized by cyberbullies online, sending police to his home with fake 911 calls. It’s a potentially dangerous prank known as swatting. Police descended on Patrick Tomlinson’s east side Milwaukee home at 1 a.m. three weeks ago with guns drawn after receiving a call from someone claiming to be Tomlinson. “Used my name. Used this address. Said I had just killed the woman.” mine and come get Me. And they did,” Tomlinson told WISN 12 News. Home security video shows Tomlinson handcuffed outside in a bathrobe as police searched his home. But the 911 call was a ruse designed to send the police home. “It’s something that would trigger a very active, very vigorous, weapons-drawn type of response,” Tomlinson said. Milwaukee police confirmed the hoax call at that home. Tomlinson said it was the third such false report, or hoax call, at his home in the past two years. He said it happened again, for the fourth time, two weeks later. “There were six uniformed Milwaukee police officers who knocked on our door. They had received a bogus call from people who have been stalking us for almost four years, saying that I heard a gunshot at this address,” Tomlinson said of the latest incident. Tomlinson said an online comment he made about his dislike of a certain comedian four years ago was what initially made him the target of a certain persistent and relentless online and cyber community. attacks, beyond incidents of attacks. He believes it’s neither his outspoken political views online, nor his science fiction writing, that have led to the viral threats from anonymous attackers. “They don’t care about any of those things,” Tomlinson said. . “They just care about hurting people. Their idea of fun is trying to destroy lives remotely.” Wisconsin statutes refer to the crime as “Swatting,” while Milwaukee police call it “False Reporting of an Emergency.” Police told WISN 12 News there have been six such incidents reported in Milwaukee this year.
A Milwaukee science fiction author says he’s being terrorized by cyberbullies on the Internet, sending police to his home with fake 911 calls.
It’s a potentially dangerous prank known as swatting.
Police descended on Patrick Tomlinson’s east side Milwaukee home at 1 a.m. three weeks ago with guns drawn after receiving a call from someone claiming to be Tomlinson.
“Use my name. Use this address. Said I just killed my wife and come get me. And they did,” Tomlinson told WISN 12 News.
Home security video shows Tomlinson handcuffed outside in his clothes as police search his home. But the 911 call was a ruse designed to send the police to the house.
“It’s something that would cause a very active, very energetic, gun-toting response,” Tomlinson said.
Milwaukee police confirmed the hoax call at that home.
Tomlinson said it was the third such false report, or hoax call, at his home in the past two years. He said it happened again, for the fourth time, two weeks later.
“There were six uniformed Milwaukee police officers who knocked on our door. They had received a bogus call from people who have been following us for almost four years saying they heard gunshots at this address,” Tomlinson said of the latest. the incident.
Tomlinson said an online comment he made about his dislike of a certain comedian four years ago was what initially made him the target of a certain online community and constant, relentless cyberattacks beyond incidents of swatting.
He believes that neither his outspoken political views online, nor his science fiction writing, have led to the viral threats from anonymous attackers.
“They don’t care about any of that stuff,” Tomlinson said. “They just care about hurting people. Their idea of fun is trying to destroy lives from a distance.”
Wisconsin statutes refer to the crime as “Swatting,” while Milwaukee police call it “False Reporting of an Emergency.”
Police told WISN 12 News there have been six such incidents reported in Milwaukee this year.