The latest in a social media-fueled “door kick” challenge where young adults attempt to bust into neighborhood homes has made its way to Overton County.
Sheriff John Garrett said the trend involves individuals, typically teenagers, recording themselves kicking on residential doors in the middle of the night to capture the homeowner’s reaction for social media.
“One of the biggest dangers is to the participants of the prank,” Garrett said. “This is a real world and a lot of people they don’t take into account the dangers of their actions so even though it might be a harmless prank to them, if you kick someone’s door in in the middle of the night and put them in fear of their safety or the safety of their family, then they could respond accordingly by defending themselves or their home which could wind up, you know, in an assault by defense, or these participants may wind up on the wrong end of a gun.”
Garrett said his office responded to a series of incidents on a single night two weeks ago where a group of teenagers caused a significant disturbance at a local residence. Garrett said the Sheriff’s office is currently reviewing home security footage from multiple those responsible.
Garrett said the trend is a nationwide problem driven by social media platforms where users idolize negative behavior to gain attention or “limelight.”
“I’m a father and a homeowner,” Garrett said. “If you come to my house in the middle of the night and you kick my door in, you’re not there to have coffee and I’m going to respond accordingly.”
Garrett said the legal consequences for the prank can range from simple vandalism to aggravated burglary. Garrett said these charges can result in a felony conviction that follows a person for the rest of their life.
“Depending on how far they go with it, it could be something as simple as a vandalism or it could be something as serious as an aggravated burglary,” Garrett said. “
Garrett said the solution to stopping the trend starts with parents monitoring their children’s electronic devices and discussing the dangers of social media challenges. Garrett said the evolution from harmless games like “Ding Dong Ditch” to door kicking is the result of a competitive desire to take pranks a step further for online views.
“I just hope that with the education that we put out there, with the postings that we put in the paper, the postings that we put on social media, this radio interview, hopefully will bring some attention to it and really get the attention of parents to make sure that they are being a parent and making sure that they know where their kids are,” Garrett said.
Garrett said he hopes publicizing the dangers will encourage teenagers to think smarter and always remember the Golden Rule.
“Use common sense and treat others as you would want to be treated,” Garrett said. “If you don’t want somebody kicking at your door or attempting to kick your door in, then don’t do it to someone else for a prank.”
