LOS ANGELES – A 25-year-old man has been arrested over an alleged prank call that led to police killing a man in Kansas on Thursday, Los Angeles police said.
Tyler Barriss from South Los Angeles was arrested Friday, according to ABC station KABC in Los Angeles.
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The incident took place late Thursday when police were called about a supposed domestic incident at a Kansas man's home, where he had shot his father and was holding his other family members at gunpoint, police said in a press conference Friday. When police arrived, the man who opened the door was told to raise his hands -- a command he obeyed until he moved his hands down to his waist, police said.
The officer fired one round, striking and killing the man. Police entered the home and found four people inside alive.
Police did not identify the Wichita man killed in the incident on Thursday, but his mother identified him as 28-year-old Andrew Finch in an interview with the Wichita Eagle. Police confirmed Finch did not have a weapon on him when he was shot, nor did he make the 911 call.
"Last evening's officer-involved shooting is a tragic and senseless act," Wichita Deputy Police Chief Troy Livingston said Friday. "The irresponsible actions of a prankster put people and lives at risk. The incident is a nightmare for everyone involved, including the family and our police department.
"Due to the actions of a prankster, we have an innocent victim."
Livingston said that they believe this was a case of "swatting." "Swatting" is a prank where an individual calls police about a serious violent crime at another home with the intent of police -- or a SWAT team -- showing up unannounced.
The Associated Press reported the FBI estimates about 400 cases of "swatting" happen every year.
Wichita police released audio of the 911 call allegedly made by Barriss in which he calmly discusses that he shot his father and is holding his mother and younger brother hostage in a closet. He also says he's poured gasoline all over the house and may burn it down, to which the 911 operator responds, "We don't need that."
Police also released bodycam video of the incident, but it is filmed from across the street by a fellow responding officer and the actions of the officer and Finch are unclear.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on leave, which Livingston said was standard protocol.
"As you can imagine, this investigation is dynamic and complex and there's a lot of information to go through," Livingston said.