AG Ken Paxton says his McKinney home was targeted in ‘swatting’ 911 call on New Year’s Day
Police responded to the McKinney home of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on New Year’s Day after receiving a call about a “life threatening situation,” Paxton posted on social media Tuesday.
The incident is what police refer to as “swatting,” a false report made to authorities intended to have SWAT officers respond to a location. According to posts by the attorney general and state Sen. Angela Paxton, his wife, the couple wasn’t home when officers responded.
The Star-Telegram has filed an open records request for the 911 audio.
McKinney police confirmed the incident happened but directed all questions to the Texas Department of Public Safety. A DPS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Star-Telegram request for information.
Ken Paxton and Angela Paxton said on social media they found out about the incident after they were contacted by DPS. Ken Paxton wrote the 911 caller falsely reported a “life-threatening situation” at the couple’s McKinney home, but did not expand on what situation the caller described.
On New Year’s Day, a currently unidentified caller made a false report to 911 describing a life-threatening situation at our home in McKinney. As a result, the City of McKinney Police and Fire Departments quickly and bravely responded to what they believed could be a dangerous…
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) January 3, 2024
“Making false reports to 911 is a crime which should be vigorously prosecuted when this criminal is identified,” Paxton said in the post. “These fake calls divert resources from actual emergencies and crimes and could endanger our first responders.”
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While authorities have not said whether they believe the false report was politically motivated, Paxton suggested in the post that he believes the call was in retaliation to “strong conservative efforts to secure the border, prevent election fraud, and protect our liberties.”
Paxton said both police and fire personnel responded to his home after the call. Authorities have not announced any arrests, listed any potential charges or publicly identified any suspects.
Our household was “swatted” on New Year’s Day after a false report was made to the police. Luckily, we were not home and the situation was handled with great professionalism by McKinney law enforcement. You can read more in the story below. #txlege https://t.co/ahsqVngGlL
— Senator Angela Paxton (@AngelaPaxtonTX) January 3, 2024
