LAPD confronts Call of Duty 'Ghost' statue in tense standoff

LAPD was involved with a grueling standoff with an unknown assailant that was readily visible in the window of Robotoki on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. The gunman however, was known to some as 'GHOST' a popular character from the game Call of Duty.

"Our studio is equipped with a 'panic' alarm in case of an armed threat, which was installed yesterday," Robotoki founder Robert Bowling said. "One of our designers, who shall not be shamed, pressed it on his way out because apparently when boys find buttons that they are unsure of, their first instinct is to push it."

Bowling recounted the ordeal stating, “As soon as they hit the top of the stairs, you have a direct line of sight to where ‘Ghost’ is standing at the window. You see them pause for a second looking at ‘Ghost.’ And then they go in, check it out, spend a little time in there, and clear the rest of the building.”



Polygon noted that earlier today reports circulated that the studio had been the victim of a "swatting" prank, in which a third party tricks law enforcement authorities or emergency services by providing details of a made-up threat, triggering an emergency response dispatch to the target of the prank. Swatting pranks are not limited to 911 calls; swatters can spoof a victim's phone number, obtain and use a victim's personal information or hack phone and computer systems.