Sometimes. Swatting is when someone tries to create an emergency police response against another person under false pretenses. Swatters often do this by calling 911 to falsely report a violent crime like a shooting or hostage situation. The intent of the prank callers is to get a Swat Team response. Swatters may think what they are doing is a prank, but it can have serious consequences. Swatting occupies law enforcement response teams, making them unavailable to respond to real emergencies.