Episodes up to this point have tried to approach policing with a more progressive standpoint. This one, however, is a trip back to the stone-age with a lackluster Hollywood "omg hackers and bullying" plot. They focus on the swatter and the doxxing as usual in this kindergarten-level attempt at complexity. They're not even touching the bigger issue of police militarization. Why is SWAT a permitted police approach to this type of call?
A no-knock entry is already questionable for a DV disturbance. Police have to identify themselves, so making a huge racket with spotlights and screaming (which they always do) would be more effective at calling the attention of a potential perpetrator. Yet these dimwits don't even shine a light on the "suspect" before opening fire. Despite having rifles with flashlights on them. For this alone, they should be charged with murder and fired. If you carry a gun, you have a responsibility to use it right. Blind firing a deadly weapon should be a trip straight to the court for an attempted murder charge at a minimum.
The claim was also made that they heard "screaming" from the house, but the daughter was playing a military FPS, which should have been immediately obvious to anyone with half a brain. Especially since that's a type of video game many police officers are familiar with. The headphones would have stopped any noise from the game, anyway.
Not only that, false reports get made all the time. Even before swatting started. What kind of idiot would open fire without even seeing the face of a person knowing that? It's just apologetic nonsense to excuse trading in citizen safety for an unwillingness to do proper police work or face any level of danger.
Even this episode tries to touch on some complexities, like systemic racism in policing. But it doesn't stop them from justifying police brutality and the violation of fourth amendment rights by sloppy cops. What a disappointment. I'd rather see an in-depth discussion on why telecoms are permitted to allow number spoofing in the first place when they have the means to prevent it than see this travesty of a plot.
Whoever wrote and directed this episode should have their paper and pens confiscated until they can prove themselves responsible enough to use them well. Clearly they didn't bother to get familiar with the subject matter, which is a cardinal sin for police procedurals, technology writing and scriptwriting in general. Another hour of research would have made this episode tolerable instead of trash.
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