Police warn of ‘door kicking challenge’ that can turn viral prank ‘from funny to fatal’

Police are informing families astir a unsafe societal media inclination aft videos surfaced showing radical violently kicking successful beforehand doors arsenic portion of the "door kicking challenge," a prank authorities accidental tin escalate into superior injury, transgression charges oregon worse.

According to a spokesperson for the Ontario, California, Police Department, the inclination — which involves radical forcefully kicking oregon slamming doors astatine homes and past moving distant portion signaling the stunt — has resurfaced online and prompted renewed interest nationwide.

While determination person been galore incidents reported crossed the country, including cases resulting successful superior wounded oregon death, the Ontario Police Department has seen lone a fewer related calls for work wrong the city, the spokesperson said.

"To date, nary of our section incidents person resulted successful injuries oregon transgression charges," the spokesperson said, adding that the behaviour typically occurs during nighttime hours and astir often involves preteen and teenage children.

WATCH: THREE FLORIDA TEENAGERS ARRESTED IN VIRAL ‘DOOR KICK CHALLENGE’ TARGETING HOMEOWNERS

Doorbell camera video shows a idiosyncratic moving from a home’s beforehand structure during a reported late-night prank. (Ontario Police Department)

Police accidental the inclination remains dangerous, though.

"This behaviour is peculiarly unsafe owed to the hazard of superior wounded to some participants and residents, important spot damage, and the imaginable for escalation with homeowners," the spokesperson said. "Participants whitethorn besides look superior ineligible consequences, including apprehension and transgression charges specified arsenic vandalism oregon trespassing."

The spokesperson said the section chose to contented a nationalist informing due to the fact that the inclination has precocious regained traction connected societal media and officers wanted to proactively outline the risks and consequences for the community.

HOMEOWNERS TERRORIZED IN VIRAL CHALLENGE AS POLICE WARN PRANK COULD TURN DEADLY FOR TEENS

Ontario constabulary besides clarified that the video shared connected the department’s societal media platforms does not amusement incidents from wrong the city.

"The video includes examples of door-kicking incidents circulating online from extracurricular our jurisdiction," the spokesperson said. "None of the clips shown picture incidents that occurred wrong the City of Ontario; they were utilized to exemplify the broader nationwide trend."

Recent incidents elsewhere item wherefore constabulary accidental the behaviour tin rapidly crook dangerous. In North Carolina, a juvenile was changeable successful the limb aft a homeowner fired astatine a conveyance during a late-night ding-dong ditch-style prank, according to police. The homeowner was aboriginal arrested connected aggregate felony charges.

TEENS' VIRAL PRANK TARGETING HOMEOWNERS COULD HAVE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES, POLICE WARN

In Houston, an 11-year-old lad was fatally changeable portion playing a "ding-dong ditch" prank — ringing a doorbell and moving away, FOX 26 Houston reported.

Police successful different states person issued akin warnings. In Kansas, the Benton Police Department warned families aft reports of children moving done neighborhoods precocious astatine nighttime and ringing doorbells arsenic portion of the alleged "door kick" oregon "door knock" challenge, KAKE reported.

Benton Police Chief Kevin Kichler warned that adjacent erstwhile nary spot harm occurs, situations tin escalate rapidly.

"It tin crook from comic to fatal, truly quick," Kichler said, noting that Kansas is simply a stand-your-ground and castle doctrine state, wherever homeowners whitethorn legally usage unit if they judge their location is nether threat.

Authorities person cited societal media successful transportation with the trend, with videos of the pranks circulating connected TikTok and different platforms.

A TikTok spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the level prohibits contented that promotes unsafe behaviour that could effect successful superior wounded oregon spot damage, and removes specified contented erstwhile identified.

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Ontario constabulary are urging parents and guardians to talk with their children astir the risks tied to viral challenges.

"We promote parents and guardians to person conversations with their children astir making safe, liable decisions and to punctual them that online trends are ne'er worthy risking idiosyncratic safety, damaging spot oregon jeopardizing aboriginal opportunities," the spokesperson said.

Authorities accidental residents should study suspicious enactment to constabulary immediately.

Fox News Digital’s Julia Bonavita contributed to this report.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].