Couple was swatted 55 times in 2 years over a post about Norm Macdonald
A Milwaukee couple was “swatted” 55 times in under a year after one of them tweeted a mild criticism of comedian Norm Macdonald, prompting repeated armed police raids despite officers knowing the calls were hoaxes. Commenters focus on systemic failures: why U.S. police continue to respond with full tactical force to anonymous, obviously abusive 911 calls, the role of qualified immunity and militarized policing, and the lack of serious consequences for both swatters and negligent departments. Many argue for procedural reforms such as verification calls, softer responses to known targets, and better investigation of the perpetrators instead of repeatedly endangering victims.
Scope of the incident
- Couple in Milwaukee was swatted 55 times over ~35 weeks in 2022–2023 after an online post criticizing Norm Macdonald; they later received a monetary settlement from the city.
- Some commenters note the frequency (multiple times a week at peak) and the persistence of full tactical responses even after police knew the calls were hoaxes.
Police behavior, incentives, and accountability
- Many argue this is primarily a policing failure: officers repeatedly arrived with guns drawn despite acknowledging on video the house was a “known swatting location.”
- Critics see perverse incentives: “LARPing” as soldiers, padding statistics, justifying budgets, and acting without meaningful consequences.
- Calls for reforms include: limiting SWAT deployments after repeated false alarms, phoning residents before raids, softer approaches (knock-and-talk, outside assessment), and marking addresses as swatting targets.
- Some advocate rolling back qualified immunity and increasing accountability for all public officials, not just police.
- Others point out U.S. courts have found no legal duty to protect individuals, only a general duty to the public.
“They have to respond” vs. “They’re choosing to”
- One side argues police have little choice: ignoring calls risks missing real crimes, especially if criminals later exploit the assumption of “just another swat.”
- Opponents respond that endless identical false calls should drastically change response tactics; they stress that many police already don’t show up for low-priority calls.
- Debate over feasibility of catching swatters: some say tracing persistent offenders should be a high-priority investigation; others argue cross-jurisdictional, online trolling is often beyond realistic local capacity.
Broader systemic and societal issues
- Discussion of “high trust society”: some claim the system assumes honest callers; others counter that swatting and low trust in police show the opposite.
- U.S. gun prevalence and militarized SWAT units are criticized; comparisons are made to other countries with high gun ownership but fewer such problems.
- Concerns raised about data brokers and doxxing making swatting easier; suggestions to redesign communications (privacy-focused messaging, anti-spam payments).
Norm Macdonald angle
- Most agree the initial “hot take” on Norm was mild and in no way justifies harassment.
- Separate debate over Norm’s politics and how certain online factions try to “claim” him, but consensus that his legacy is being misused by abusers.