Crime /

Timcast Swatted While Filming Episode of IRL


The Timcast Cast Castle was swatted while livestreaming Thursday night’s episode of IRL just before 8:30 p.m.

A “swatting” is when a person calls in a fake police report, usually claiming there was a murder or active shooter, in an attempt to get a SWAT team to raid someone’s home or business. 

In this case, the caller, who used the name “Nicholas Bell,” claimed that he had shot his wife at Tim Pool’s studio address and was about to kill himself.

According to law enforcement at the scene, the person had called police departments in two different counties – neither of which was correct for the studio’s town. Officers also said that he called a suicide hotline to make the report.

The calls to various counties led to officers from at least three departments, including the state police, being present at the scene.

The vlog team happened to be outside when officers from the first two counties arrived. After complying with orders to put their hands up, they were able to deescalate the situation to some degree.

Others at the house informed officers from the first two counties that they were not permitted to enter the property without a warrant. However, when law enforcement from the appropriate department arrived, they said they were entering without one due to “exigent circumstances.”

Someone at the studio once again attempted to say that they could not enter without a warrant, but three officers walked right past her and into the building, saying that they had to “due to the nature of the call.”

Once they were inside, members of the vlog team attempted to stop the officers from entering the studio but were unsuccessful.

Police also checked with the neighbors, though they did not search their homes.

According to those who were present, the whole ordeal was very quick. They said that they did not see officers draw their weapons at any point.

Swatting is a highly dangerous crime that has led to several deaths in recent years.

In July 2020, a 60-year-old grandfather in Tennessee died after having a heart attack while being swatted over his Twitter handle.

In 2019, Tyler Rai Barriss, 26, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he swatted 28-year-old Andrew Finch in Kansas.

Barriss had told police that he was inside the house and had hostages. When Finch opened the door and stepped on to his porch he was fatally shot by police, who said that they believed he was reaching for a weapon.

UPDATE: Full video of the incident has been posted to the Cast Castle YouTube channel.

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