Fortnite player accidentally calls 911 during match, ends up Swatting himself
In a bizarre and frightening incident earlier this August, a Michigan gamer accidentally triggered a full police response during a Fortnite session—after his broken phone unknowingly dialed 911 mid-game.
Swatting, the dangerous act of making a false emergency call to send armed officers to someone’s home, has led to serious injuries and even deaths. But in this case, the teen swatted himself entirely by accident.
According to reports, the boy’s damaged phone screen somehow initiated an emergency call while he was playing. Believing they were responding to a potential shooting, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office dispatched multiple units to the address.
Bodycam footage captured the tense moment officers surrounded the home, ordering the teen to come out with his hands up. He was briefly handcuffed and asked to lift his shirt to show he wasn’t armed. After receiving permission from the teen’s parents to search the house, officers confirmed there was no threat.
“Upon further investigation, it was found that the caller’s phone malfunctioned and called 911 while they were playing Fortnite,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The residence showed no signs of a shooting.”
Undersheriff Jeremy Barnett added: “The kid was just playing the game and somehow his phone became unlocked and called 911. Hearing the 911 call, it sounded real bad. Thankfully, it was just a video game and everything was okay.”
The teen later explained he had no idea the call had been made and blamed the mishap on his broken phone screen.
Although the situation ended without harm, law enforcement continues to warn about the growing threat of swatting. The FBI has pledged to crack down on false emergency calls, and creators like Amouranth have publicly described swatting prevention efforts as a step forward.