Sen. Deery’s home targeted in ‘swatting’ report Thursday morning amid redistricting blowback
Deery becomes the third senator targeted by false reports as redistricting debate continues. WL police chief says department had worked with senator on protocols ahead of swatting attempt.
State Sen. Spencer Deery’s family was victim of a “swatting” incident Thursday morning, making him the third target of false reports meant to bring massive police responses since the Indiana Senate declined to meet in special session to consider a President Donald Trump-backed redistricting plan.
Deery, a West Lafayette Republican, said he was notified around 8 a.m. by West Lafayette police that they’d received a report of domestic abuse at his home and that there would be a threat of violence against officers who responded.
West Lafayette police confirmed the incident Thursday.
“I am grateful to the West Lafayette Police Department for their professionalism and preparedness to recognize this as a swatting attempt that could be resolved without putting my children, or the children on our street who were preparing to board school buses, in a dangerous and stressful situation,” Deery said. “Instead, West Lafayette police were able to respond to the call in a professional, safe and appropriate manner. …
“It is disturbing that anyone would attempt to harm or intimidate lawmakers, but sadly not all that surprising in the current environment,” Deery said.
“Swatting” is a false report of a crime or situation meant to get a large police response, including bringing out a SWAT team – hence, the name.
West Lafayette Police Chief Adam Ferguson said police received an email report Thursday morning of a criminal incident happening at Deery’s address. Ferguson did not identify what the false report involved but that like in other swatting incidents, it was designed to bring a large response.
Ferguson said that he had spoken with Deery earlier in the week about similar incidents targeting Indiana senators and the possibility that it could happen here. Ferguson said he’d alerted officers in his department about the potential for swatting.
“I had already alerted our staff yesterday evening to the possibility of this,” Ferguson said. “I told them to just be on the lookout for unusual calls at a particular address, and if you get that call, here’s what we’re going to do.”
Ferguson said that while officers responded, WLPD made phone calls to the home to get more information about what was and what wasn’t happening. He compared the response to how police deal with false bank alarms – “always responding, but make some phone calls to figure out if something is really happening or not.”
Ferguson said an investigation continues into the swatting situation.
Indiana State Police reported it was investigating this incident and others targeting General Assembly members.
“While the motives for this type of activity may vary, we are working diligently with local, county and federal law enforcement partners to identify those responsible for these reckless, careless and illegal activities,” ISP officials said in a release Thursday morning. “Our goal is to seek criminal prosecution against those involved, to the fullest extent allowed by law.”
Two other Indiana senators have been targets of swatting incidents in the past week, since Sen. Rodric Bray, Indiana Senate president pro tempore, announced he would not call the chamber to meet in session to consider redrawing congressional district maps. Bray said the votes weren’t there for the idea to bring state senators into a special session called for by Gov. Mike Braun – a decision that brought public rebukes from President Donald Trump, who has been the architect behind the redistricting plan to win more pro-White House seats in Congress.
State Sen. Greg Goode, a Terre Haute Republican, was a victim Nov. 16, when someone sent a false report of a domestic violence situation happening at his home. Police in Terre Haute and Vigo County are investigating the incident. Goode had been among those singled out by Trump in an angry Truth Social post over the weekend, calling out Indiana senators who refused to get on board for redistricting. Goode hadn’t publicly stated his stance but had held a public forum in his district on the subject, where the overwhelming response was against the idea.
State Sen. Dan Dernulc, a Highland Republican, reported Wednesday that police had been called to his home in another swatting incident. He said police quickly identified the call as false.
“It is scary and shocking to me that someone would go so far to try to cause harm or fear to me or my family,” Dernulc said in a statement Wednesday. “I have always done my best to serve my community, be their voice, and work alongside them and my colleagues at the Statehouse to help make Indiana a great state.”
Dernulc also had been undecided publicly on the redistricting question.
Deery has been outspoken in his opposition, saying that “normalizing mid-cycle gerrymandering would create a culture in which a political party could select new voters not once a decade, but any time it feared the consequences of an approaching election.”
Deery, first elected in 2022, announced his re-election bid Monday.
The following day, Paula Copenhaver, former Fountain County clerk and chair of the Fountain County Republican Party, announced she’d run in Senate District 23, too, forcing a May 2026 primary. Copenhaver, who works in Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office, said her decision to run was driven in large part by Deery’s stance against a redistricting plan, saying she would be a “defender of the Indiana and America First agenda.”
Copenhaver’s campaign has the backing of Beckwith, who told BiL this week that plans are in the works to load up money and national attention in Indiana Senate districts where Republicans hadn’t backed Trump’s call for new maps. That included Senate District 23, he said.
On Thursday, Copenhaver condemned the swatting incident.
“This is unacceptable — swatting and political violence are never the answer,” Copenhaver said. “It goes against the very principles we value in America. If you are for this type of behavior, we are not the same. My thoughts and prayers are with Sen. Deery, his family and everyone else affected by these types of actions.”
Deery said earlier in the week that he understood a primary challenge was likely, given his position and promises from the White House, Beckwith and others.
“Others in this race will represent a different style of politics — one driven by outside influencers who specialize in division, disruption and chaos,” Deery said after Copenhaver announced this week. “My opponent has been recruited and employed by the same political figures who attack fellow Republicans, undermine our institutions, and put personal agendas ahead of the people we serve. That’s not leadership, and it’s not what Hoosiers want.”
Before Thursday morning’s swatting attempt, Deery said an unpaid pizza arrived at his door Wednesday night that he didn’t order.
“This may seem like a harmless prank, and it certainly isn’t as serious as a swatting, but it still is an attempt to intimidate an elected official by conveying ‘we know where you live,’” Deery said. “Even this less serious tactic should be condemned and never normalized.”
He said he’d been in touch with local law enforcement “about reasonable precautions all of us can take to avoid a dangerous situation for everyone involved.” He said he’d had what he called “delicate conversations” with his family about what swatting is and how to react to it to keep them and responding police officers safe. He said he’d forwarded one anonymous message to state police over the issue but considered it “online bluster rather than a plan of action.”
“When our family decided to enter the public arena four years ago, we knew our lives would change, but we believed then – and still believe today – that it is important for people who are committed to representing the people with integrity and an attitude of public service to step up,” Deery said. “We will continue to do our duty and to do what is in the best interest of our district, no matter the threats.
Ferguson said the protocols discussed with Deery earlier in the week helped Thursday.
“This is the life of a public figure nowadays,” Ferguson said. “It’s a sad reality, but one that that I think we can deal with. We just wish we didn’t have to.”
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The days of “let’s keep national issues out of local races” is over. Now, it’s our state senate seat. Next up, it will be the mayor and school board. Anyone who silently remains on the sidelines without objecting to this kind of political intimidation is a coward and an accomplice.
Wild. Sad. Disappointing. Why not engage Senator Deery in a discussion and debate about the topic of redistricting? If you think you have a solid case to make, do so publicly.