Slashdot Mirror
California Man Sentenced To 20 Years In Deadly Kansas 'Swatting' (fox4kc.com)
slipped_bit writes: Tyler R. Barriss, 26, who pleaded guilty to multiple counts of "swatting" attempts, including the case that caused an innocent man to be killed by police in 2017, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. The case in 2017 was all because of a dispute between two online players over a $1.50 bet in the "Call of Duty: WWII" video game. A total of 51 federal charges related to fake calls and threats were made against Barriss. "Barriss' prosecution in Wichita consolidated other federal cases that had initially been filed against him in California and the District of Columbia involving similar calls and threats he made," reports FOX 4 Kansas City. "Prosecutors had asked for a 25-year sentence, while the defense had sought a 20-year term."
"The intended target in Wichita, Shane Gaskill, 20, and the man who allegedly recruited Barriss, Casey Viner, 19, of North College Hill, Ohio, are charged as co-conspirators," the report adds. "Authorities say Viner provided Barriss with an address for Gaskill that Gaskill had previously given to Viner. Authorities also say that when Gaskill noticed Barriss was following him on Twitter, he gave Barriss that old address and taunted him to 'try something.'"
"The intended target in Wichita, Shane Gaskill, 20, and the man who allegedly recruited Barriss, Casey Viner, 19, of North College Hill, Ohio, are charged as co-conspirators," the report adds. "Authorities say Viner provided Barriss with an address for Gaskill that Gaskill had previously given to Viner. Authorities also say that when Gaskill noticed Barriss was following him on Twitter, he gave Barriss that old address and taunted him to 'try something.'"
How long did the guy who actually pulled the trigger and sent the deadly bullet get?
This guy does deserve the sentence he got.
Perhaps.
But the cop who pulled the trigger, and murdered the unarmed victim in cold blood perhaps should serve some time as well.
When all you have is a SWAT team, everything looks like a huge drug-lord compound.
Looking for a computer support specialist for your small business? Check out
if you consider the LEOs had none of the foregone knowledge thaat they were not at a house where a murder had already been committed, the police reaction is much more understandable
Nope, an unarmed man stood in bright lights on his own porch was murdered. I don't understand why the policeman even fucking shot him, let alone got away with that murder.
If you don't read what exactly the kid did, you don't have a right to comment. [...] The cop opened the door expecting a shooter about to execute a number of people
Given that the policeman didn't open the fucking door and did shoot an unarmed man I think it's pretty clear that you don't think you have a right to comment.
You would rather other people act to protect you and die than you do it yourself because cops are bad in your eye
How can I put this. I could have done a better job than that policeman, and I'd seriously fucking hope he's never called out to my house because he's demonstrably more likely to fucking kill me than anybody he's allegedly there to protect me from.
I don't hate the police, I just expect the law to apply to them. Including murder charges when they murder unarmed people standing in the door of their own home.
As a civilized society, we are somewhat reluctant to recognize the most uncivilized elements of humankind must be dealt with
The first step is to make sure we don't give them a badge and a gun.
Are you unaware of the details? The police, in large numbers, had the front of the house surrounded, from a tactical position behind their vehicles. An unarmed individual came out, was not identified, was not given a chance to comply with orders, and fired upon within seconds simply because an officer thought his hands passed too close to his waist. Could have just as easily been a hostage, especially since having hostages answer the door is the typical scenario.
This was an egregiously terrible shoot. There is zero excuse here, and if you're defending executing someone in these circumstances, you're a disgusting person condoning having absolutely no reasonable restriction on allowing police to execute anyone they encounter. They didn't know if it was a hostage, they didn't know if he was armed, they didn't give him a chance to surrender, he didn't do anything at all-- his hands just passed near his waist he didn't reach for something, and they did it all from a distance behind cover.
Barriss absolutely deserves the 20 years, but the officer who opened fire deserves life. And fuck whoever would defend one of the worst shoots ever, you're not defending a tough call, you're defending a wholly unjustified murder.
the most uncivilized elements of humankind must be dealt with
100% correct. Trigger happy police officers who shoot unarmed people must be dealt with.
I am merely grateful
Why are you grateful that the very people who protect you are so fucking trigger happy that they are likely to shoot you when you call for help, even if you're tiny white woman in her bathrobe? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Interactions with police are an example of a clash of an unpleasant element of society, but in the USA it is for all the wrong reasons.
People still blaming the cops on this one. Get a clue, please.
We have a clue. The police responded to a complete anonymous tip with deadly force and no attempt to even identify what the situation is let alone diffuse it. In any other country the police officer would be in jail. There are levels of escalation and the side with an overwhelming advantage in this one sided confrontation responded with unwarranted deadly force.
Have you seen the Hateful Eight? "Anybody moves a little weird....little sudden--gonna get a bullet. Not a warning. Not a question; a bullet. Let me hear you say, 'I got it'." See even fucking Quentin Tarantino when writing a bloodbath knows how to communicate a warning.
The swatter orchestrated an incredibly dangerous situation and is the one to blame for this
You've boiled a complicated situation escalated by many people down to blaming a single person. You sir are an idiot.
It is tough to be right 100% of the time. You're right.
But when you are the guy who is wrong that one time, and you kill some innocent person, and it happens because of your personal judgement (nobody else was shooting, just YOU), you should be held accountable.
I am a convicted felon. I could have died coming out of that last bank, would have been nobody's fault but my own. I get that.
MOST police shootings are justified. I get that. Hell, I subscribe to Donut Operator's channel on YouTube.
When they are not justified, though, we are not served by a justice culture that protects bad shooters.
All other arguments aside, I'd like to present two facts and one outcome:
Cedric has probably never killed anyone.
Officer Justin Rapp has.
Because of Rapp's actions, an innocent person Rapp was supposed to be protecting is now dead.
Is it presumptuous of me to hold the opinion police shooting innocent people is a bad thing?