Manslaughter charged in hoax-call case

WICHITA, Kan. — A California man accused of making a hoax emergency call that led to the fatal police shooting of an unarmed man in Kansas has been charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Tyler Barriss made his first court appearance in Kansas via video link from jail on Friday after his extradition from Los Angeles. The 25-year-old also faces charges of giving false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer. Bail was set at $500,000.

Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett told reporters after the brief hearing that he is still reviewing whether any charges will be filed against the police officer, and once he makes a determination that decision would be made public. He said he was awaiting a final autopsy report.

The hoax call reportedly was made after a dispute over a small wager online in a Call of Duty online video-game tournament, according to Dexerto, a news service focused on gaming.

Prosecutors allege Barriss was in Los Angeles when he called police Dec. 28 with a fake story about a shooting and kidnapping at a home in Wichita.

When police responded to the address, an officer fatally shot 28-year-old Andrew Finch after he opened his door. Police have said he moved a hand toward his waistband and an officer, fearing he was reaching for a gun, fired a single shot and killed him. Finch was unarmed.