Schwarzenegger: The police storm his property because of lousy Thanksgiving joke!

Schwarzenegger: The police storm his property because of lousy Thanksgiving joke!

Thal, Kalifornien, USA - An unexpected incident overshadowed the Thanksgiving celebrations of the former bodybuilder and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his villa in Thal, California. While he was busy with weights in the gym, a special unit of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) stormed his property. The reason for the massive use? An anonymously received reference to a possible letter or package bomb, which later turned out to be a common joke when the LAPD realized that it was so-called "swatting".
How MeinDzirk.at reported, the phenomenon "swatting" is growing, especially among internet personalities, which are often the goal of such joke. The police found no indication of an actual threat, which converted the panic -like investigation into an endless attempt to check the supposed security risks.

What is Swating?

The word "Swatting" consists of the initial letters of "Swat", ie "Special Weapons and Tactics". In such incidents, an anonymous call often refers to a special unit to one person or event, which is usually not related to actual crimes. Famous victims of Swating also include celebrities such as Tom Cruise and Rihanna. Wikipedia's declaration of terms Sabotage ) illustrates that such bad pranks have increased in recent years, especially with the advent of livestream platforms, on which such inserts are often broadcast live.

Schwarzenegger himself, who could escape the excitement in his home, was not only referred to as the victim of a not entirely well thought -out prank, but also as a symbol for the dangers associated with digital celebrity. The incident raises awareness of how false reports and jokes can quickly get out of control today, which has serious consequences for the people involved and the security services. A joke that can trigger massive police operations within a few minutes illustrates the confusion that can leave such a procedure and raises questions regarding responsibility when the boundary is blurred between reality and internet jugs.