Police: ‘Door kick challenge’ hits Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights police are warning residents that the viral “door kick challenge” has come to town.

Police said Tuesday that several residents reported their front doors were damaged over the weekend by someone kicking them. The incidents line up with the “door kick challenge,” a social media trend in which young people record themselves trying to kick down a front door then post the videos on TikTok.

“Startling a homeowner in the overnight hours and/or damaging property is not funny,” police said in a Facebook post. “We should all agree everyone's safety is more important than views/likes.”

Chief Nicholas Pecora noted that several comments left on the post “are concerning, if written with any sincerity.” Those remarks involve homeowners saying they or others might respond to door kicks with gunfire.

“As you can read, there were more than a few who opined that any person who would contemplate such activity at the poster’s home may face deadly consequences,” he said.

In one case, video supplied by a homeowner shows two masked teens kicking the front door at 1:40 a.m.

“I could see how a reasonable person might believe an intruder is trying to gain access to their home, and that is where the dangers and unintended consequences of this ‘prank’ could result in a catastrophic incident,” Pecora said.