Missouri top election official Jay Ashcroft says ‘swatting’ call brought police to home

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said his Jefferson City house was the target of a swatting late Sunday, with an anonymous call sending police officers to the home and causing him to come outside with his hands up.

Ashcroft, a Republican and candidate for governor, said in an interview that he was on his treadmill at 9:14 p.m. when he received a call from a restricted number that turned out to be the Jefferson City Police Department trying to talk him out of the house.

The officers told him that they received an anonymous call saying a resident at his address had shot and killed his wife and shot several other people, Ashcroft said. Officers checked with Ashcroft and his family to confirm that they were OK, he said.

Once the officers determined that the call was a false report, they were “even somewhat apologetic,” Ashcroft said, calling the situation “surreal.”

“I just couldn’t believe it was happening to me and that this was happening in Missouri,” he said. “I’m just thankful for the police. It’s a dangerous situation for them. They don’t know if it’s real or not and I think they were very professional. I think they showed a lot of restraint.”

Ashcroft said he expected police to conduct an investigation but did not know who made the call or why. The Jefferson City Police Department did not immediately respond to a call for comment.

Swatting incidents – the practice of making a prank call to police agencies to trigger a large number of armed officers to an address – have been reported at the homes of officials across the country recently.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost have been victims, the Associated Press reported.

It is currently a class B misdemeanor in Missouri to make a false police report, which is punishable by a maximum of six months in jail and up to $1,000 in fines. At least one bill filed this year would increase the penalties for swatting calls.