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Diddy Allegedly Latest Victim of 'Swatting' Prank [UPDATED]
P. Diddy (cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com)
Someone should tell the pranksters behind all the 'swatting' incidents in L.A. that April Fools' Day comes but once a year, and this is getting old. In any case, apparently Diddy is now the latest victim of the phony call for police help, as officers in squad cars and choppers descended upon the music man's Los Angeles home this morning in response to a faux incident.
TMZ says it's not currently known what crime the prankster said was going down chez Diddy, but their law enforcement intel says the whole episode smacks of "swatting."
Usually the calls indicate a level of distress serious enough to bring out the big police guns, often the SWAT personnel; the pranksters usually report a gunman and shots fired at the target location.
Authorities in the city and county of L.A. are also not fans of swatters, since they are a waste of their time and resources. The suspect behind a few swatting pranks, a 12-year-old boy, was apprehended last year, and the Los Angeles Police Department have said numerous times they will prosecute suspected swatters.
One thing we did learn from today's alleged Diddy swatting is that the rap star has a famous neighbor, Steve Carell. Turns out TMZ initially thought Carell was the target, since the cops swarmed the former "Office" star's driveway, which happens to be next to where Diddy lives. Officers secured Carell's home as well.
UPDATE 1:09 PM: Officers say the call was for an "assault in progress," according to City News Service.
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