Pierce County Sheriff’s Office issues alert over potentially dangerous “kick-in-the-door” trend

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A man kicked in the front door of a Gig Harbor home early Saturday morning, prompting the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) to issue an alert about a dangerous social media trend.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on May 9 in the 5900 block of Northwest 43rd Avenue.

The homeowner can be heard describing the incident in body camera footage released by PCSO.

“I heard, bang, bang! Five loud bangs on the front door,” he said. “I don’t care if you’re playing a prank, people die from pranks. That’s a good way not to make it to 25 [years old]”.

According to Deputy Carly Cappetto, a male suspect approached the home and kicked the door multiple times, causing the door frame to shatter. Two other suspects were seen fleeing the scene with him.

“These are grown men,” she said. “We don’t really see a lot of adults doing these types of challenges.”

So-called “kick-in-the-door challenges” have been circulating on social media platforms such as TikTok. Participants recorded themselves kicking or knocking on doors before escaping.

Last summer in Houston, 11-year-old boy shot in back and killed After knocking on the door and running away as part of a prank. The man who fired the shots now faces murder charges.

Cappetto said the agency has seen similar pranks throughout Pierce County, but so far there have been no reports of injuries resulting from interactions with homeowners.

“There are a lot of people who are registered gun owners who have guns on their doorstep. If they thought someone was breaking into their house, they would shoot. I don’t think they really think about that when they have a group of people and are under peer pressure,” Cappetto said.

She urged parents to discuss the potentially dangerous consequences of any prank with their children.

“Is it likely to injure someone, or is it going to cause property damage?” she said. “If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you should not do this prank.”