Marjorie Taylor Greene hit by eighth hoax armed police call on Christmas

Police have confirmed a “swatting” attempt at the home of Marjorie Taylor Greene on Christmas Day.

The Republican firebrand says local police officers responded to a report of an incident at her house on 25 December once again, following another apparent fake call about a crime.

Ms Greene has previously claimed left-wing activists have staged multiple similar attacks against her by placing calls with local law enforcement that have prompted officers to visit her residence in Rome, Georgia.

On Monday, the lawmaker posted on X: “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 savior Jesus Christ!”

“Swatting” typically involves a fake emergency call to 911 operators that dispatches heavily armed and armoured law enforcement teams as an extreme prank or form of harassment.

The Rome Police Department later confirmed that the incident had taken place to NBC News.

Major Rodney Bailey told the outlet that a person based in Rome, New York, made a call to the suicide hotline, claiming that he had shot his girlfriend at Ms Greene’s address in Georgia and threatening to kill himself.

Police then contacted Ms Greene’s local security liaison to inform her team about the call. Her security team decided officers didn’t need to respond to her home and a police response was reportedly cancelled.

“We determined before our personnel could get to her location that there was no emergency and there was no reason to respond,” department spokesperson Kelly Madden said. “Her security detail had it all under control, and there actually was nothing going on.”

The congresswoman condemned similar incidents last year in October after several happened in quick succession.

In August 2022 the Rome Police Department reported that its officers responded to a 911 call reporting that a person was “shot multiple times at an address within the city limits”.

“When officers responded they discovered this was the home of Marjorie Taylor Greene,” according to a statement from the department at the time. “She assured the officers there was no issue and the call was determined to be a false call commonly known as ‘swatting’.”

The department said it sent officers to the house in response to those prior incidents but has since formed a close working relationship with Ms Greene’s security detail, which allows officers to better assess the threat level.

Rome Police’s criminal investigations division is working to identify Monday’s caller and build a case, Ms Madden said.

Ms Greene previously told far-right personality Charlie Kirk in an interview following the August incident that she typically answers her door armed with a gun.

The Independent has approached the congresswoman’s office for comment about the Christmas Day 2023 incident and contacted Rome police for further information.

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