A New Kind of Telephone Prank

Forget the old line “Is your refridgerator running?” Eighteen-year-old Randal Ellis was sentenced to three years in prison after calling 911 and telling the operator he was on drugs and just shot his sister. He gave the operator a fake address. Miles away, the couple at the address Ellis gave woke up to police sirens, a helicopter, and a fully equipped SWAT team in their backyard. It became apparent after they were arrested that the call had been a prank.

This wasn’t Ellis’ first prank call to 911, however. In fact, it was his one hundred and eighty-fifth prank call. Prank calls like these are often called “swatting” calls because they usually involve SWAT teams. Not only do they target unsuspecting, innocent people, but they cost the city money. Even more importantly, they involve police that may be needed for an actual emergency elsewhere.

Read more about “swatting” here

What is the furthest you would go for a prank? Did Ellis deserve three years in prison? If not, did he deserve more or less?