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Fatal Call of Duty swatting incident settles for $5m

The decision comes five years after an unarmed Kansas man lost his life over a false 911 call

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Content warning: This article contains references to death and murder

Wichita has settled for $5 million in a federal lawsuit against police detective Justin Rapp for the killing of Andrew Finch.

The settlement will be paid to the Kansas resident's family.

Per The Wichita Eagle, the decision comes five years after officers responded to a false 911 call over a $1.50 Call of Duty: World War II wager match.

The misleading report alleged an ongoing hostage situation at Finch's address.

He was then approached by authorities who did not identify themselves. The publication notes that Rapp shot Finch seconds after stepping onto his porch.

The detective said he was armed to investigators, and when Rapp testified in a federal criminal case, the officer said he did not see a gun.

Tyler Barriss of Los Angeles was arrested in connection with the swatting incident. In 2019, Barriss was sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to placing the call that led to Finch's death.

Then in September 2019, Casey Viner of Ohio was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his involvement.

In response to the $5 million settlement, a Finch family representative said, "It has been difficult to say the very least."

"I've watched this family go through disappointment after disappointment after disappointment and finally today we came together as a community. We got this done."

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Jeffrey Rousseau

Staff Writer

Jeffrey Rousseau joined GamesIndustry.biz in March 2021. Based in Florida, his work focused on the intersectionality of games and media. He enjoys reading, podcasts, staying informed, and learning how people are tackling issues.