Wolf Blitzer the Latest in a case of “SWATing” … Hoax Sends Police to His Bethesda, MD Home (Update: Add Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) to the List)

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer is the latest to be drawn into the hoax, known as “SWATing”. According to the WAPO, Montgomery County police received an urgent message at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday saying someone had been shot at Wolf Blitzer’s home and responded by sending officers to his Bethesda, MD home.  It is unbelievable that individuals would act so irresponsible to make such faux calls that divert resources that might otherwise go elsewhere to respond and resolve an actual emergency.

Montgomery County police received an urgent message at about 6:25 p.m. Saturday saying someone had been shot at Wolf Blitzer’s home in Bethesda. Officers streamed toward the CNN host’s residence near Congressional Country Club. They set up a perimeter.

But a dispatch supervisor was immediately skeptical, and a call to CNN confirmed it: The message was a fraud. Blitzer was fine — was, in fact, out of town. The authorities were dealing with another case of “SWATing,” in which someone jolts police into action with a fake distress call and technological trickery.

Patterico’s Pontifications as a long list of others who have been “SWATTED”:

 roll call of the SWATted: Wolf Blitzer; Ted Lieu; Erik Rush; Ryan Seacrest; Russell Brand; Selena Gomez; Justin Timberlake; Rihanna; Sean Combs; Chris Brown; Tom Cruise; Paris Hilton; Clint Eastwood; Brian Krebs; the Jenners and Kardashians; Justin Bieber; Miley Cyrus; Ashton Kutcher; Simon Cowell; Aaron Walker; Erick Erickson; Mike Stack; and me.

UPDATE I: Add Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) to the “SWATTING” list via Twitchy.

Last night, SWAT-ting came to Congress. Via Wood TV:

The heavy police presence seen outside of Congressman Mike Rogers’ Howell home on Saturday night was called there because of an “unfortunate prank,” the congressman said in a statement.

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Department told Lansing affiliate WILX that it was “a high-priority situation.” Police cleared the scene by 10:45 p.m. Saturday.

Rep. Mike Rogers, a Republican from Michigan, describes it as a “prank.”

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