Wichita (US), Jan 13 (AP) A California man accused ofmaking a hoax emergency call that led to the fatal policeshooting of an unarmed man in Kansas has been charged withinvoluntary manslaughter.
Tyler Barriss made his first court appearance in Kansasvia video link from jail yesterday following his extraditionfrom Los Angeles.
The 25-year-old is also charged with giving false alarmand interference with a law enforcement officer. Bond was setat USD 500,000.
A message left for the local public defender's officewasn't immediately returned.
Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett toldreporters following the brief hearing that he is stillreviewing whether any charges will be filed against the policeofficer, and once he makes a determination that decision wouldbe made public. He said he was awaiting a final autopsyreport.
The hoax call reportedly was made after a dispute over asmall wager online in a "Call of Duty" online video gametournament, according to Dexerto, a news service focused ongaming.
An investigation is still ongoing as to other peoplealleged to be involved in a game online, Bennett said, addingthat involves a forensic analysis of machines, phones andcomputers.
"There is no other situation quite like this toreference," Bennett said. "I am not going to stand right hereand say I am not considering anything else. That would beuntrue."Bennett acknowledged the "sort of novelty" of the case,noting the public interest in it and questions about whetherlawmakers may need to change laws when it comes to computer-related crimes.
"The law is catching up with technology," he said. "Iguess I am stating what seems fairly obvious to me withoutmaking commentary about this case."In Kansas, involuntary manslaughter carries a sentence of31 to 136 months, depending on a defendant's criminal history,Bennett said.
Prosecutors allege Barriss was in Los Angeles when hecalled police on Dec. 28 with a fake story about a shootingand kidnapping at a home in Wichita, Kansas.
The caller who phoned Wichita police said in a relativelycalm voice that he had shot his father in the head and washolding his mother and a sibling at gunpoint, according to the911 recording. He said he poured gasoline inside the home and"might just set it on fire."When police responded to the address, an officer fatallyshot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened his door. Policehave said he moved a hand toward his waistband and an officer,fearing he was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot andkilled him. Finch was unarmed.
Barris has a history of making such hoax calls, which aresometimes called "swatting." (AP)MRJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.