By Helena Wegner
The Charlotte Observer
PETALUMA, Calif. — A popular TikTok trend that started in college dorm rooms has spread across U.S. neighborhoods.
And residents aren’t happy about it.
The “door kick” challenge — or the ”heartbeat” challenge — involves someone kicking or pounding on a door to Kesha’s 2012 “Die Young” song before running off.
In some videos, the door is kicked so hard by the prankster that it opens.
For some homeowners, the prank could be mistaken for a home invasion, the Petaluma Police Department in California said in a Facebook post on Nov. 30.
The challenge could turn deadly if the owner defended their home with violence, police said.
A child in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was arrested in November and accused of doing the door kick challenge on multiple homes in one neighborhood, WAFB reported.
[RELATED: ‘Don’t do it’: Cops warn against TikTok milk crate challenge]
One of the neighbors said her husband was at home recovering from open-heart surgery when the child kicked their door, the news outlet reported.
A pastor’s front door was damaged in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, by a person doing the challenge at his home, WHTM-TV reported.
“My initial reaction was anger and frustration, but since then, it has been about our community and our neighbors here in the city and wondering if someone else has experienced this or other kinds of property damage that come with pranks,” the Rev. Craig Gommer told the news outlet.
Taking part in the TikTok challenge can be dangerous and could result in legal repercussions, which include facing trespassing, property damage, vandalism, or breaking and entering charges, police said.
https://www.facebook.com/PetalumaPoliceDepartment/posts/226491859612765
©2021 The Charlotte Observer. Visit charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.