Manor Police officers raced to two separate emergencies on Sunday that turned out to be entirely fake, part of a dangerous hoax known as swatting that law enforcement says puts real lives at risk. The first call came in at 5:31 a.m. reporting an alleged hostage situation involving a firearm, and later that same day officers responded to a second report in which a caller claimed their mother had been shot by their father. Both calls were determined to be false.
Swatting can prompt a significant law-enforcement response. Incidents can target schools and businesses.
Why Police Can't Just Shrug These Off
Manor PD described swatting as a serious criminal act that creates unnecessary risk and panic for responders, residents, and the community alike. Manor PD has taken threats seriously. The department urged residents to remain calm and follow officers' instructions if police unexpectedly respond to their home, since a tactical response triggered by a false report can look and feel just as intense as a real one.
The legal stakes for anyone caught making these calls are significant. Under Texas Penal Code Section 42.0601, enacted in 2021 through Senate Bill 1056, making a false report of a crime or emergency to induce a law enforcement response is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to a year in county jail and fines as high as $4,000, according to BHW Law Firm. Penalties escalate sharply from there: the same statute enhances charges to a state jail felony for repeat offenders, and up to a third-degree felony carrying two to 10 years in prison if a victim or responder suffers serious bodily injury or death during the emergency response, per Cofer & Connelly, PLLC.
A Crime That Can Cross County Lines
Swatters may use caller ID spoofing and social engineering.
A Pattern Playing Out Nationwide
Manor's two false alarms reflect a problem federal investigators have been tracking for years. The FBI launched a nationwide tracking system in May 2023, called the National Common Operation Picture - Virtual Command Center, to let local, state, and federal agencies log and share swatting intelligence in near real time, according to FedScoop. Within its first seven months of operation, that database had already logged more than 400 separate swatting incidents across the country, per IntelliSee. Beyond the physical danger to residents and officers, these hoaxes carry a real price tag: a single swatting incident costs a municipality roughly $10,000 in diverted public safety resources, tactical personnel, and emergency services, according to estimates compiled by the Anti-Defamation League and reported by FEDagent.
Manor PD has not said whether the two Saturday calls are believed to be connected or whether a suspect has been identified.
One public safety episode in Manor this year was a chopper-and-cops response in Presidential Heights in March. Police responses to emergency calls can begin before officers know whether the reported emergency is real.
