The McKinney residence of Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, State Sen. Angela Paxton, was “swatted” this week, according to a report from Fox News. The Paxtons were not home, but local police, fire, and EMS teams were dispatched on the false call.
A fictitious call was made to 911 of a life-threatening situation. A source told Texas Scorecard that the caller claimed one spouse had killed the other during an argument.
“Swatting” has been defined as making a fraudulent call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address. Such incidents can create life-threatening situations for both the intended victims and first responders.
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday by A.G. Paxton and Sen. Paxton, the couple said:
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 environment. We were not home at the time and were made aware of the false report when a state trooper, who was contacted by McKinney police, informed us of the incident.
The Paxtons went on to note that the incident comes weeks after managers in the Texas House and the Dallas Morning News released the residential addresses of the Paxtons despite a state law preventing such disclosures.
“We understand some people may not agree with our strong conservative efforts to secure the border, prevent election fraud, and protect our constitutional liberties, but compromising the effectiveness and safety of law enforcement is completely unacceptable,” the Paxtons added.
The McKinney Police Department has not yet commented on the incident. Making false reports is a crime in Texas.
At least eight squad cars, an ambulance, and fire personnel were dispatched the Paxtons’ home.
“Making false reports to 911 is a crime which should be vigorously prosecuted when this criminal is identified,” noted the Paxtons. “These fake calls divert resources from actual emergencies and crimes and could endanger our first responders. We are grateful for the bravery and professionalism of the men and women serving in the McKinney police and fire departments.”
