Controversial US politician 'swatted' on Christmas Day

Police are investigating after Marjorie Taylor Greene, the controversial US politician, was “swatted” on Christmas Day, for what, she said, was “the eighth time”.

Major Rodney Bailey, of the Rome police department in Georgia, confirmed the incident to NBC News, Sky News’ US partner.

Someone from the city of Rome, in New York state, called a suicide hotline just before 11am, claiming that he had shot his girlfriend at Greene’s address in Georgia and threatened to take his own life next, Major Bailey said.

The call was quickly transferred to police when suicide hotline responders recognised the Georgia congresswoman’s address, police said.

When an officer checked with her security detail and confirmed she was safe and there was no emergency at her home, a police response which had already set out, was cancelled, department spokesperson Kelly Madden said.

“We determined before our personnel could get to her location that… there actually was nothing going on,” Ms Madden said.

It’s the latest instance of someone calling in a fake emergency to draw armed officers or SWAT teams to the Republican congresswoman’s home, known as “swatting”.

Last year, there were reports of shootings outside her home, about 70 miles (112km) northwest of Atlanta.

Police responded in person to those incidents and decided the reports were false.

In a Christmas Day post on X, Ms Greene said: “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here.

“My local police are the greatest and shouldn’t have to deal with this. I appreciate them so much and my family and I are in joyous spirits celebrating the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ!”

Ms Greene, is a far-right firebrand and passionate supporter of former president Donald Trump.

She was punished by House of Representatives managers over racist comments, her embracing of conspiracy theories and her past endorsement of violence against Democratic officials.

People have called saying that dead bodies had been found in the bath and in other areas of her home.

Police say they have become wary after responding to various false alarms, and now work closely with the politician’s security team.

In August, another man from New York was sentenced to three months in prison for making threatening phone calls to Ms Greene’s office in Washington.

In 2020, a 60-year-old man had a fatal heart attack after his home was swarmed by armed officers when he was “swatted” by people who wanted him to give up his Twitter handle.

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