Congresswoman Victim of ‘Swatting’

– By Stephen Freker for the Medford Daily Mercury/Malden Evening News

The top national proponent of an “anti-swatting” bill in Congress herself was “swatted” late Monday night when Melrose police were called to the home of local U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark on a report of an “active shooter” and “shots fired”.

It was an unfortunate— and bizarre— case of “legislation in action” for the Congresswoman, who was home at the time, and members of her family, who were rousted from their home just after 10 o’clock Monday night when four Melrose Police officers showed up on her doorstep.

Rep. Clark represents the Fifth Middlesex District, which includes Melrose, Medford, Malden and a number of other surrounding communities.

Rep. Clark praised the actions of the Melrose Police, who first blocked off both ends of her street before continuing their on-site sweep, and also noted that this was just another case that hammered home the intent of federal legislation she co-authored and submitted just 10 weeks ago.

“My family and I are grateful to Chief Lyle and the Melrose Police Department for their timely and professional response,” Rep. Clark told the Malden Evening News and Medford Daily Mercury in a statement Tuesday.

According to a spokeperson for Rep. Clark, “…Hoaxes involving the manipulation of emergency response systems in order to provoke an armed police response – often a S.W.A.T. team – is commonly known as “swatting” and has become a popularized method of attacking unsuspecting private citizens including domestic violence survivors, journalists, public figures, and online gamers.”

Clark and co-sponsor, U.S. Rep. Patrick Meehan, R-Pa.. in mid-November introduced the Interstate Swatting Hoax Act. A bipartisan which would make it a federal crime to knowingly transmit false information to authorities with the intent of causing an emergency response from law enforcement, often including a S.W.A.T. team.

While federal law presently prohibits using the telecommunications system to falsely report a bomb threat hoax or a terrorist attack, falsely reporting other emergency situations is not currently a federal offense, though it does violate local laws.

“No mother should have to answer the door to the police in the middle of the night and fear for her family’s safety simply because an anonymous person disagrees with her,” Rep. Clark told the Malden Evening News and Medford Daily Mercury in a statement. I’m relieved that no one was hurt, but the sad reality is, these hoaxes known as “swatting” are a danger to victims, first responders, and our emergency preparedness.”

On Monday night at the time of the incident. Congresswoman Clark was at home in Melrose with her husband and two of her three sons.

According to an online report, when three Melrose police officers and a sergeant arrived, Rep. Clark went outside, assuming something was amiss at a neighbor’s house.

Rep. Clark, in an online report by The Boston Globe, said “she was alarmed to see cruisers blocking both ends of her street and officers “with long guns” on her front lawn.

In an online report, Rep. Clark said she believes the false report was pushback against Interstate Swatting Hoax Act.

Rep. Clark is her first full term as Congresswoman from the Fifth Middlesex District, having been elected, unopposed, to a two-year term in November, 2014. She was first elected, via special election, to fill the unexpired term of no U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, who was a former longtime local Congressman representing the Seventh Congressional District, now reconstituted as the Fifth Congressional District.

According to her spokesperson, Rep. Clark, a forceful advocate of curbing online abuses and severe online threats that disproportionately target women, has introduced a number of reforms to address online abuse Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle said the investigation is ongoing into the incident.