When most people think about the dangers of being a public figure online, they might imagine dealing with mean comments or the occasional troll. For Ned Luke, the 67-year-old voice actor behind Michael De Santa in Grand Theft Auto V, the reality has become far more serious, and disturbingly, quite routine.
During a recent livestream on December 23, Luke experienced something no one should ever have to worry about. While playing GTA Online with Red Dead Redemption voice actor Rob Wiethoff, two police officers walked into his room. But instead of the tense confrontation you might expect, one officer simply called out, "You're being swatted again!" The casual familiarity in his voice told the whole story.
The interaction was so routine that Luke and the officers chatted briefly before he continued streaming for another hour and a half. We suppose this is expected when you've found yourself on the receiving end of a swatting for the eighth time in two years.
Yes, you read that right. Eight times.
Swatting, for those unfamiliar with this dangerous practice, involves making false emergency calls to law enforcement with the intention of sending armed police to someone's home.
Make no mistake, this is serious. People have died from swatting incidents. The practice treats law enforcement as a weapon, putting both the victim and responding officers in danger while wasting critical emergency resources.
The frequency of these incidents in Luke's case has created an almost surreal situation. Law enforcement officers responding to his address now apparently know him by name, understanding immediately that they're likely dealing with another false alarm.
