The family of the late Austin Metcalf got targeted this week in a “swatting” incident.
The Frisco Police Deparment in Texas told TMZ that a Metcalf family home in Frisco was “swatted” on Thursday. Police received a phone call regarding a reported gunshot at the home and responded with around 20 officers. But the call was ultimately found to be a hoax as police searched the home thoroughly and found nothing suspicious.
Austin Metcalf’s father Jeff additionally told TMZ that the incident occurred around 6 PM while he was away at a physical therapy appointment for a shoulder injury sustained several months prior. Hunter Metcalf, Austin’s twin brother, was home at the time though and dialed 911, upon which he was informed that authorities believed there was an emergency at the residence.
“Swatting” is defined by the NHTSA’s National 911 Program as a “false reporting [of] an emergency by a person with the intent of getting a response to a location where no emergency exists.” Named after the police SWAT teams that are usually mobilized in response to such a call, “swatting” is a criminal offense that is officially categorized as a misdemeanor in some states (including in Texas for an initial offense) and as a felony in others.
Jeff Metcalf also stated that the “swatting” incident occurred hours after he crashed a scheduled Thursday press conference involving members of Karmelo Anthony’s family. The press conference was delayed for several minutes as a result before Jeff Metcalf ultimately left (full details here).
Karmelo Anthony is facing charges of first-degree murder for the alleged fatal stabbing of Austin Metcalf after a dispute at a high school track meet on Apr. 2. Anthony has claimed self-defense in the case and has received nearly $500,000 in online fundraising efforts (which Anthony’s mother provided a big update on this week).
In the wake of the fatal stabbing, Anthony’s family has since moved into a gated community. The police report on the stabbing (which you can read in full here) provided some key details about the alleged events that took place.
