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TCC’s Chad Caton on Surviving a 3AM Police Raid | Uncovered California with Lori Mills

Published: April 23, 2025
Network: The Conservative Caucus
Analysis: Conservative Caucus President Jim Pfaff

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Conservative swatting attacks have escalated to dangerous levels, targeting political influencers and their families in coordinated 3AM raids that could turn deadly at any moment. Chad Caton, a Navy veteran and former firefighter who now serves as National Field Director for The Conservative Caucus, recently survived one of these orchestrated attacks—an experience that came within seconds of becoming a fatal shooting. His harrowing account reveals not just the immediate danger these incidents create, but the systemic protocol failures that put both citizens exercising their Second Amendment rights and law enforcement officers at unnecessary risk.

Topics Covered

• The Growing Epidemic of Conservative Swatting Attacks
• Inside the 3AM Raid: Seconds From Tragedy
• Critical Protocol Failures That Endanger Lives
• Castle Doctrine and the Right to Defend Your Home
• Evidence of Organized Targeting Campaign
• The FBI’s Troubling Absence
• How to Protect Yourself From Swatting
• The Broader Political Implications

The Growing Epidemic of Conservative Swatting Attacks

The week before Chad Caton’s home was raided, a disturbing pattern emerged across conservative social media. Cat Turd was swatted. Then Gunther Eagleman. Then Sean Farrage. All prominent conservative voices, all targeted within days of each other. The coordinated nature of these conservative swatting attacks became impossible to ignore.

“These guys are all bigger accounts than me,” Caton recalled thinking at the time. As someone who had responded to actual SWAT calls during his firefighting career, he understood the gravity of the situation. High-profile conservatives including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jack Posobiec, and Tim Pool have all been victims of these dangerous hoaxes that weaponize law enforcement against political opponents.

What makes these incidents particularly dangerous is the intersection of several factors: armed homeowners exercising their constitutional rights, high-stress law enforcement responses to reported violent crimes, and the element of complete surprise in the middle of the night. It’s a recipe for tragedy that conservative swatting attacks exploit with calculated malice.

Inside the 3AM Raid: Seconds From Tragedy

Caton’s preparation likely saved his life. Just days before the incident, he had discussed the possibility with his wife, Elizabeth, despite her initial resistance to entertaining such dark scenarios. His instructions were specific: grab their dog Diesel and secure him in the master bathroom to prevent him from being shot by police—a common occurrence in high-stress raids.

“At 3:00 in the morning, it sounded like somebody was taking a pickup truck and banging it in my front door,” Caton described. With his home alarm blaring and Diesel barking frantically, Caton’s first instinct as a gun owner in a castle doctrine state was to grab his firearm and prepare to defend his family.

“I jump up out of bed, grab my firearm, getting ready to defend my home, and I kind of sat on the end of the bed for a second when I grabbed the gun… I saw lights coming in all the windows and I said, ‘Swat, swat, swat.'”
— Chad Caton

That moment of recognition—made possible only because his friends had been targeted days earlier—prevented what could have been a fatal encounter. As Caton moved through his home, laser sights and tactical lights locked onto him through his back sliding glass door. Officers with AR-15s were positioned at every entrance, ready to engage what they believed was an active threat.

“If I would have had my gun in my right hand, I don’t know what would have happened,” Caton reflected. “Would he have shot me through my sliding glass door? Because he lit me up and was yelling at me through the sliding glass door.”

The situation remained volatile even after Caton complied with commands. Handcuffed in his driveway in his boxers, he watched in horror as his wife emerged from the house with an officer’s rifle aimed at her forehead. “Please don’t shoot my wife. Please don’t shoot my wife,” he repeated, standing directly behind the officer whose hands were visibly shaking on his weapon.

Critical Protocol Failures That Endanger Lives

Caton’s unique background—as both a former firefighter who participated in SWAT operations and a citizen who experienced being on the receiving end—gives him a perspective few possess. His analysis of the Oconee County Police Department’s response reveals critical protocol failures that unnecessarily escalate danger for everyone involved.

The most glaring issue: officers banged violently on the door rather than ringing the doorbell. This seemingly minor distinction creates a cascade of dangerous assumptions. “A ringing doorbell is somebody that’s saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem. I’m sorry to wake you, but I got to hit your doorbell,'” Caton explained. “When somebody’s banging on my door like they’re trying to kick it in, I’m thinking somebody’s coming to kill me and my family.”

Even more troubling, the SWAT team maintained maximum threat posture even after the situation became obviously non-threatening. Caton emerged in his underwear. His wife came out in pajamas. No gunshot wounds were visible. The house had been completely dark when they arrived—inconsistent with a claimed active shooting. Yet protocols weren’t adjusted to de-escalate.

“When we realized we came up, the whole house was dark, and when we banged on your door and we heard your dog, we figured it was something fake,” the sergeant later admitted to Caton. If officers suspected a hoax before entering, why did they maintain tactics appropriate for an actual violent crime in progress?

“What’s the difference between ringing the doorbell and banging on my door? To me, ringing the doorbell is somebody that’s saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a problem.’ When I come to the door with a gun, don’t be in my backyard leveling a rifle at me like you’re going to shoot me through my back door. I have a right to protect my home.”
— Chad Caton

Castle Doctrine and the Right to Defend Your Home

The constitutional and legal implications of conservative swatting attacks extend far beyond the immediate danger. These incidents create a direct conflict between Americans’ Second Amendment rights, state castle doctrine laws, and law enforcement’s duty to respond to reported emergencies.

“In South Carolina, we have a castle law,” Caton emphasized. “My protocol to protect me and my family is I have two magazines. One to empty in the door and the other one to back up whatever I just shot.” This isn’t bravado—it’s the legal standard in castle doctrine states where citizens have no duty to retreat from intruders in their homes.

Had Caton not been warned by his friends’ recent experiences, his legally justified response to what appeared to be a violent home invasion could have resulted in dead police officers and his own death or prosecution. This creates an impossible situation: law-abiding gun owners are being put in positions where exercising their constitutional rights could be fatal.

The political dimension becomes clear when considering who is being targeted. These aren’t random victims—they’re specifically conservative voices who advocate for Second Amendment rights and support law enforcement. The irony is bitter: the very people most likely to legally own firearms for home defense are being subjected to scenarios designed to create deadly confrontations with police.

Evidence of Organized Targeting Campaign

The conservative swatting attacks aren’t isolated incidents by random trolls—they bear the hallmarks of organized coordination. Multiple victims have reported identical follow-up harassment tactics that serve as a calling card for the perpetrators.

“After you’re swatted, we get subsequent pizzas delivered constantly,” Caton revealed. “I think the record’s 118 pizzas ordered by Gunther Eagleman in one day.” The pizza deliveries aren’t random harassment—they’re a signature, much like how bomb technicians can identify bombers by their construction methods. The swatters want victims to know they’re part of a connected campaign.

The timing reveals sophistication. Caton was swatted at 3:00 AM on St. Patrick’s Day. By 6:00 PM that same day, fraudulent pizza orders began flooding in. Delivery instructions included notes like “Call me when you arrive”—attempts to gather phone numbers and create additional harassment vectors. Other victims report pizza orders being placed in their names to addresses across the country, designed to damage reputations and create legal complications.

Beyond pizzas, victims experience coordinated digital attacks. Caton’s website went down—possibly hacked. Social media accounts face suspicious activity. The pattern suggests resources and technical capability beyond lone actors. “We know that they’re all connected,” Caton stated firmly. “That’s why when there’s new swatters, we ask them a few questions. They have the proof that this is all coming from the same people.”

The FBI’s Troubling Absence

Perhaps most disturbing is the contrast between law enforcement’s aggressive response to the false emergency calls and their apparent disinterest in investigating the actual crimes. Over a month after his swatting, Caton still hadn’t spoken with the FBI—despite swatting being a federal crime when it crosses state lines or targets political figures.

“I have yet to speak to the FBI,” Caton emphasized during the interview. “My local PD—I had to call my county councilman, like ‘Excuse me, what are we doing?’ And it’s cyber crimes. We’re waiting for Google IP to get back to us or whatever.”

The disparity is glaring. When Caton attended the January 6th protests as a journalist covering the event for his radio show, the FBI contacted him before he even returned to South Carolina. But when he’s the victim of attempted murder by proxy? Silence. When other swatting victims have reached out to FBI contacts, they’ve been told agents are “waiting for permission” to investigate—though no one can explain who must grant such permission or why.

While Cash Patel reportedly issued a memorandum to law enforcement about the targeting of conservatives through swatting, the practical impact appears minimal. Without dedicated federal task force resources and prioritization, these attacks will continue—and eventually, someone will be killed.

How to Protect Yourself From Swatting

Through painful experience, swatting victims have developed protocols that could save lives. Caton’s most critical advice: don’t just inform your local police department—that’s insufficient. You must contact the non-emergency line for your 911 dispatch center.

“Call non-emergent 911,” Caton instructed. “You need to call the non-emergent line. You need to say that you are a conservative commentator, you are a podcaster, or you are a famous person in your area, and that swatting is happening and that you believe that you could be swatted at any time.”

This creates a flag in the 911 system directly attached to your address. When a call comes in reporting a violent crime at your location, trained dispatchers can ask additional verification questions rather than immediately sending a full SWAT response. They can check vehicle registrations, ask about household composition, and look for inconsistencies in the caller’s story.

“If you don’t call non-emergent 911 and it doesn’t get to 911, it doesn’t get on their computer. I don’t care if you go golfing with the sheriff every day—he’s not going to do jack for you.”
— Chad Caton

Additional protective measures include:

• Prepare your family: Ensure everyone knows the plan—who secures pets, who answers the door, and how to comply with police commands safely.
• Secure firearms immediately: If you hear aggressive door banging, secure weapons before approaching. Having a gun in hand when police see you could be fatal.
• Control your pets: Dogs are frequently shot during raids. Have a plan to quickly secure them away from entry points.
• Document everything: Security cameras can prove your innocence and document protocol violations.
• Alert pizza places: Contact local restaurants and delivery services to flag your address against fraudulent orders.
• Gated communities: If you live in one, inform gate security about potential harassment.

For those with multiple pets, the challenge intensifies. As host Lori Mills noted with her five dogs, wrangling animals during a raid may be impossible. In such cases, immediately communicating with officers about pets becomes critical—even if it means cracking the door just enough to speak while preventing animals from escaping.

The Broader Political Implications

Caton’s analysis extends beyond the immediate danger of conservative swatting attacks to the broader political landscape. His new role as National Field Director for The Conservative Caucus positions him to see patterns across the country—and what he sees troubles him deeply.

“Donald Trump is not going to save you,” Caton stated bluntly. “There is nobody to save you. Donald Trump is doing everything he can to expose them, but the establishment is currently circling the wagons, waiting him out for 2028.”

His evidence: Republicans control both the House and Senate, yet haven’t codified a single Trump executive order into permanent law. Border security measures remain executive actions that the next president could reverse with a pen stroke. “That proves that they are waiting,” Caton argued. “That proves they don’t have any intentions of putting what Trump is doing into law because they have full intentions of going back to it in 2028.”

This context makes conservative swatting attacks part of a larger pattern of intimidation designed to silence grassroots conservative voices while establishment Republicans offer no meaningful protection or support. Figures like AOC and Bernie Sanders dominate media narratives while the RNC remains largely passive.

The targeting of conservative influencers through swatting serves multiple purposes: it terrorizes voices amplifying the MAGA message, it creates potential for tragic incidents that could be used to demonize gun owners and Second Amendment advocates, and it sends a message that political speech carries physical danger. When coupled with establishment Republican indifference, the effect is to isolate and endanger grassroots conservative activists.

The Urgent Need for Legal Reform

Current laws treat swatting as a misdemeanor in most states—a classification that originated when the practice was primarily confined to the gaming community. Pranksters calling in fake emergencies on rival gamers faced minimal consequences, and the practice spread.

“This is a misdemeanor in most states for swatting,” Caton revealed. “But the thing is, this is attempted murder by proxy. And it needs to be a felony. It needs to be a federal felony right off the rip.”

The legal framework must reflect the reality: swatting deliberately creates situations with high probability of death. Perpetrators weaponize armed law enforcement against innocent victims, knowing the potential for fatal outcomes. This isn’t a prank—it’s attempted murder with police as unwitting instruments.

Federal legislation should include:

• Automatic federal jurisdiction: All swatting incidents should immediately become FBI cases, bypassing local departments that lack resources.
• Mandatory minimum sentences: Federal felony charges with substantial prison time to deter perpetrators.
• Enhanced penalties for political targeting: Additional charges when victims are targeted for political speech or activism.
• Liability for platforms: Services that facilitate swatting through anonymization should face consequences if they don’t cooperate with investigations.
• Mandatory protocol reviews: Law enforcement agencies must develop and implement verification procedures before full SWAT deployment.

Until legal consequences match the severity of the crime, conservative swatting attacks will continue to escalate. The perpetrators currently operate with near-impunity, knowing that even if caught, they face minimal punishment.

Key Takeaways

1. Conservative Swatting Attacks Are Coordinated – Multiple high-profile conservatives have been targeted in rapid succession, with identical follow-up harassment tactics suggesting organized perpetrators rather than isolated incidents.
2. Current Police Protocols Create Deadly Risks – Aggressive door-banging tactics and failure to de-escalate when situations appear non-threatening put both homeowners and officers at unnecessary risk, especially in castle doctrine states.
3. Preparation Saved Lives – Chad Caton’s survival was directly attributable to warnings from recently swatted friends. His prepared response—securing his dog and recognizing the situation—prevented what could have been a fatal shooting.
4. Legal Protections Are Inadequate – Swatting remains a misdemeanor in most states despite being attempted murder by proxy. Federal involvement is minimal, and investigations languish without consequences for perpetrators.
5. Protect Yourself Through 911 Registration – Contact your non-emergency 911 dispatch line to flag your address as a potential swatting target. This creates verification protocols that could prevent unnecessary raids.
6. The Political Context Matters – These attacks target conservative voices specifically, creating a chilling effect on political speech while establishment Republicans fail to provide meaningful support or legislative protection.
7. Federal Reform Is Urgent – Swatting must become an automatic federal felony with mandatory FBI involvement. Without serious legal consequences and proper investigative resources, the attacks will continue until someone is killed.

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About The Conservative Caucus:
The Conservative Caucus is a grassroots public policy action organization, formed in 1974. Headed by President Jim Pfaff, the Caucus is committed to advancing free enterprise, limited government, and traditional values.

Originally broadcast April 23, 2025 on The Conservative Caucus.