Woman called cops to find out if it is still Christmas

A woman in Hertfordshire, England, called the local police emergency service to ask if it was still Christmas Day and to wish the police a Merry Christmas.

She called police on December 26th. There was clearly no emergency. After nonchalantly asking the emergency call-taker how he was, she then asked: "Is it still Christmas Day?" to which the man answered "No, it's Boxing Day."

The Police decided to release the recording as part of an appeal, particularly over the festive period, not to make crank calls, as it could put someone's life at risk.

The maximum penalty for hoax call offenses in the UK is up to six months in prison and a fine of £5,000.  (info from http://www.eitb.com/)

Hear the call on Youtube.

Man was bored, so he reported fake crimes to 911

A man in Clarksville, Tennessee called 911 three times Sunday night to report a murder and stabbing, setting off a four-hour, three-agency manhunt involving search dogs and a helicopter.

The reports were hoaxes.

Alex Baker first called 911 at 7:13 p.m. and said he witnessed a murder. Baker gave the dispatcher a description of a man in a white car, then hung up. The 911 staff made several attempts to call the number back, but calls went to voicemail.

At 7:26 p.m., dispatchers received a second call from an unidentified man who said he'd been pushed out a door, stabbed and was in a wooded area. The man then hung up.

In the third call, at 7:49 p.m., an unidentified man said he was in the woods dying and that Alex Baker killed his girlfriend and buried her.

All the calls originated from a phone owned by Alex Baker. The calls were pinpointed to the area where Baker lived. When police contacted Baker at his home, he denied making the calls and said he hadn't seen his cellphone for quite some time.

Several police officers, plus two deputies, a K-9 team, two Highway Patrol troopers and a Highway Patrol helicopter, were involved in a four-hour search of the wooded area.

Detective Eric Ewing determined that Baker had placed the calls, making up all of alleged crimes because he was bored and anxious after not having had a cigarette in two days.

Baker was charged with three counts of false report. His bond was set at $15,000. (info from http://www.theleafchronicle.com/ )

Mother reported kid to 911 for not raking leaves

Is laziness really a crime? A mother in Norwood, Massachusetts thinks it is. When her teenaged son didn’t do his chores, mom didn’t ground him. She called the cops.

On Saturday morning, November 13 the woman called 911 after she wanted to her son to rake the leaves in their yard and he refused to do so. Police arrived at the scene and filed a report.

(info from Norwood blog)

Prankster tied up Utah 911 sysem with 617 calls

A prankster in California used a falsely-registered cellphone to tie up the 911 system in Salt Lake City, Utah with 617 calls between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nov. 2, The caller never spoke but wasted hours of phone time for dispatchers, who do not hang up until the caller hangs up.

Fortunately, the calls occupied just one dispatcher at a time and did not leave any legitimate callers on hold.

“Swatting” — prank-calling 911 — is usually accomplished in one of two ways. Disconnected cellphones are required by federal law to be equipped for 911 calls, leaving the number unlinked to any person. Pranksters also use Voice over Internet Protocol, which enables a user to register a number to a fake name at a fake address.

Last Tuesday’s calls were traced to California, but they were made on a number apparently registered to a fake identity at a Salt Lake City address.

In summer of 2009, a Salt Lake City schoolgirl made thousands of 911 calls over three or four months, taunting dispatchers and claiming she would never be caught. An officer traced the disconnected number to a cell tower in the girl’s neighborhood and interviewed residents with children until the caller was found.

(info from The Salt Lake Tribune)

Boy called 911 to complain about food at home

A 10-year-old boy in Buffalo Grove, Illinois called 911 to report that he didn't like a meal served by his father.

Buffalo Grove Police Commander Steve Husak said the boy told the 911 oficer that the food was edible but not as tasty as he would have liked.

The officer talked to the boy about correct use of the 911 system. Husak said there was no contact with the boy's father and no further action was taken. (info from http://www.upi.com/)

Canadian kid called 911 more than 400 times

Emergency phone lines in Ontario, Canada were kept busy last weekend, as one child called 911 over 400 times. Police say the child used the name Alex, but are not sure if "Alex" is a boy or a girl, and suspect the caller is 4 or 5 years old.

Police said dispatchers repeatedly asked to speak to parents and to stop calling 911 but were ignored. Adults could be heard in the background talking and offering the child pie. The dispatchers tried shouting into the phone to attract the adults' attention but were unsuccessful.

The phone the child was using was likely a pay-as-you-go or deactivated cellphone, police said.

"Caregivers must realize that deactivated cellphones are capable of dialing 911, even if it's a pay-as-you-go phone with no balance or time available," police said in a release. Children should not be allowed to use a cellphone as a toy, police said. "Tying up 911 resources like this can result in unnecessary delays for legitimate 911 emergencies," police said.

(info from http://www.winnipegsun.com/)

Man Calls 911 for Theft – of Cocaine

Chicagoan Steven Dragon was reportedly driving a car that authorities were watching out for early this year. He was pulled over and a detective then searched the vehicle, while Dragon talked to a police officer. The search subsequently yielded drugs, which were confiscated.

Upon his return, Dragon noticed that the drugs that he left in the car were no longer there. At this point, he called 911. Here’s an excerpt of the conversation:

Dragon: “When the cops took me down the street to get okay’ed, my car got f****** robbed.”

Dispatcher: “The police had you and someone broke into your car and took your keys?”

Dragon: “Yeah. The police had me…. and when they had me somebody f***** me over.”

Based on the conversation it looks like Dragon is accusing the police of stealing his stash; apparently, its OK for the police to question him but they are not supposed to take cocaine from his car.
(info from http://www.testcountry.com/)

911 prankster spent birthday in jailafter false call about murder

Robert M. Brooks of Eustis, Florida  spent his 22nd birthday behind bars after he was arrested for an alleged prank call, saying he had killed his wife and that he was going to kill his baby.

Officers took the call seriously, sending more than 30 officers, a helicopter and SWAT team before learning it was a prank call.

"The communications officer heard gunshots in the background," said Eustis police Chief Fred Cobb. Police said Brooks made the call that sent them to his neighbor's house.

Eustis police arrested Brooks on a felony charge of false report to law enforcement. Bond was set at $2,000. Police say Brooks is also accused of pulling similiar pranks over the summer at random addresses in Seminole County. "We absolutely take this seriously," Cobb said. (Info from www.dailycommercial.com/)

Woman was arrested for calling 911to complain about her son

A woman in Spring Hill, Florida was arrested after she called 911 five times in one night.


Deputies say Elizabeth Swezey called 911 to complain that her son hadn't returned her vehicle to her house.

When Swezey called, deputies say they told her that her complaint was civil--not criminal. Deputies asked Swezey if she thought that her son was involved in an emergency, but she did not reply. She also hung up on deputies several times.

Swezey was charged with making false 911 calls, and was transported to jail. (info from http://www.wtsp.com/)

Man called 911 for hot chocolate and a hug

Mark Eskelsen, a homeless man in Oregon, sneaked into someone's hot tub. When he got out, he was wet and got cold, so he called 911 and asked for towels, hot chocolate and a hug.

He was arrested instead of hugged.

Eskelsen called 911 from his cellphone and identified himself as the "sheriff of Washington County." He then asked for medical attention, later admitting that he wasn't the sheriff. Eskelsen also said he had been in the hot tub for ten hours and that his towels had gotten soaked.

"I just need a hug and a warm cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows in it," he told the 911 operator.
Neighbors also called police complaining that a man was yelling outside. When the dispatcher asked if Eskelsen had a weapon, he said no and that he had "fingers that are so numb they've turned into prunes. Even if I did have a gun I don't think I could hold onto it right now."

Eskelsen was arrested for trespassing and misusing the 911 system. But when police checked his cellphone, they realized he hadn't called 911 but had been transferred to 911 from 411.

Police also found marijuana on Eskelsen and said that he seemed to be on drugs during the incident. (info form The New York Daily News)

Boy called 911 because sister hogged computer

A five-year-old boy in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada called  911  to complain because  his six-year-old sister was hogging the computer.

He threatened to call the cops if she would not let him use the PC, and when she wouldn't relinquish control, he made the call.  He told the 911 operator he needed help and hung up.

Officers arrived at the house, and found the parents home, and no emergency. A Mountie took the boy aside for a chat and established the groundrules for calling 911. The boy now knows to call only when there's a fire, when someone is hurt or when a stranger is trying to hurt you. "The lad also made it clear that 911 shouldn't be called when your sister won't let you on the computer," said RCMP Const. Steve Holmes.

Info from  TheProvince.com

Cops attacked while responding to 911 call

Police officers responding to a 911 hang-up call in Evansville, Indiana wound up in a fight. Rico Johnson was arrested on preliminary charges of battery on a police officer, disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.

Johnson screamed and cursed when police officers went to the residence at 1:45 a.m. and were allowed in. Johnson reportedly ignored repeated commands to stop yelling and to leave. After Johnson cursed police again, Officer Kevin Mason reached for Johnson's wrist, but Johnson shoved the officer. Mason attempted to push Johnson against a wall, but Johnson reportedly struck the officer in the face, and the two then traded punches. Johnson eventually was brought under control on the apartment floor by Mason and Officer Jeff Kingery. Mason suffered cuts to his hands and possibly a chipped tooth, while Johnson had a knot on his forehead, a bloody nose and split lip, and was jailed on a $1,000 bond.

(Info from Evansville Courier & Press) 

Drunk woman called 911 to get a date and then peed on the floor

An Ohio woman was charged with disorderly conduct for calling 911 to get a date.

Police say Bernadette Music was highly intoxicated when she called the emergency number four times trying to find a boyfriend.

Caller: "I’m having a hard time getting a hold of...you know a date line....everyone wants to (inaudible) with me around.... My name is Bernadette Music. And I look healthy I’m 5'1 and ok...I weigh 120 pounds...."

Police say when they found Music, she initially refused to answer the door and then urinated on the floor outside her apartment before she was arrested for misuse of 911 and taken away. (info from MyFoxBoston.com)

911 caller wanted football team returned

A man in Lundar, Manitoba, Canada tied up local 911 service, pleading with the dispatcher to help him get the Jets football team back to Winnipeg.

According to Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press, the calls were placed last year but were never reported until uncovered recently in police documents.

From McIntyre: "The emergency dispatcher politely told the angry caller there was nothing she could do to help him and reminded him that he was tying up a valuable resource before hanging up. But the man continued to phone back, claiming he had a lot on his mind."

"He had apparently been drinking and told police he hadn't slept in days. He started talking about world conglomerates, things like that. He was hallucinating, obviously."

The last straw came when the man began insulting the 911 operator, eventually calling her a crude name. She warned him that his number had been traced and police were being sent out to arrest him. "If you're coming to get me, can you bring me some smokes," was his reply.

He was also charged with public mischief, false messages, harassing phone calls and obstructing justice.

The Jets moved to Phoenix--and were re-named the Coyotes--following the 1995-96 season, after spending 17 years in Winnipeg. (info from NHL.fanhouse.com)

911 Operator mistyped, sending ambulance in wrong direction

A  911 operator in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, whose typo sent paramedics to the wrong address for a call about a dying infant, was suspended from her job.

The typo resulted in paramedics taking an extra seven minutes to reach a three-week-old baby. She died an hour later. Autopsy results to determine a cause of death are awaiting lab tests. A medical examiner said no evidence indicates that the delayed response played a role in the baby's death.

The call-taker served a five-day suspension without pay and had 32 hours of remedial training. She had nine years of experience but failed to verify the address before and after it was sent to emergency dispatchers.

The operator initially entered the right address into the computer system, but missed a keystroke when she added an apartment number--causing the computer to change the name of the street. Union officials called a suspension premature and unwarranted.
County officials are still trying to resolve the computer problem and nobody knows yet why the typo led the computer to change the street name. (info from http://www.pittsburghlive.com/)

Man arrested after calling 911 about a non-robbery

A man is accused of using a phone inside a Chevron gas station in Yavapai County, Arizona to report a robbery that never took place.

John Hanna allegedly tried to convince a Chevron employee to call in the robbery, and when the employee refused, Hanna called 911 and left, said Dwight D'Evelyn, spokesman for the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies who responded to the call got a description of the caller and found Hanna about 20 minutes later under a highway overpass.

Hanna, who was not armed and did not take anything from the store, allegedly told deputies that he was poor and had thought about committing a robbery.

It is unclear why he decided to call in a fake robbery. He was arrested on suspicion of false reporting of an emergency and booked into the Camp Verde Detention Center. (info from AZcentral.com)

Drunk arrested for drugs after annoying 911 calls

According to reports from the Norwood, Ohio Police Department, an intoxicated David Childers called 911 repeatedly Monday evening asking a variety of non-emergency questions.

Childers asked about Norwood's drug task force operations and then wanted info on his own probation violations after he allegedly refused to follow terms of his probation on theft, possession of criminal tools, domestic violence, inducing panic and resisting arrest cases.

Childers then demanded to know what his bonds were, and when he was not told, he hung up and called back threatening to sue because he was not guilty.

Police then went to Childers' home where they found prescription drugs that they say were obtained illegally. Childers was arrested on drug charges as well for misusing 911. Bond was set at $1,500. (info from Cincinatti.com)

Bank robber called 911 to report herself

Nancy Waro dialed 911 Monday morning to report a bank robbery in Port Richey, Florida.

A few minutes later, she was arrested for robbing the bank.

Waro walked into a Bank Atlantic branch, handed the teller a note demanding money and received $1,900 in cash.

As the teller reached for the panic button under her desk, Waro pulled out her cellphone and called 911, prompting an officer patrolling the area and Chief Dave Brown to go to the bank.

Even before the officers walked through the door, Waro had her hands in the air and said, "I robbed the bank."

"It was one of the quickest bank robberies I'd ever worked," Brown said.

Police are still investigating why Waro dialed 911. Brown said there may be "more issues" involved in the case, but declined to comment further. Waro was charged with robbery, and was held in lieu of $10,000 bail. (info from TampaBay.com)

Man called 911 to report Bigfoot in his yard

"Knobby" was the legendary Sasquatch (Bigfoot beast) that allegedly lived in Cleveland County, North Carolina in the 1970s. There were dozens of reported sightings, and a movie was made about him.

The Knobby hysteria died down, but he's ba-ack! Tim Peeler reported seeing a Bigfoot beast in his own yard.

Peeler called 911 around 3 a.m. and reported seeing a beast in his yard. Peeler said the beast came out of the woods and walked right past him. Peeler said he "talked rough" to the Sasquatch and poked him with a stick, but didn't have time to grab his camera and take a picture. He says next time he'll be ready, and there will be a next time. (info from WBTV)

Man arrested for complaining to 911 that Mommy took his beer away

Charles Dennison of New Port Richey, Florida was arrested for calling the police to complain that his mother had taken his beer away from him. Dennison wanted her to be arrested. He was jailed on $150 bond and is facing criminal charges for making false 911 phone calls.

(info from St. Petersburg Times)

Wacko was arrested for harrassment and calling 911 about Xbox and Obama

A man in Fort Walton Beach, Florida was arrested for calling 911 to complain that neighbors had his video game controllers.

After officers responded to the man’s initial call, they told him “not to use the emergency line again for this problem.”

A neighbor then called 911 and said the man was screaming that he was going to blow everything up and was walking around with a stick. An officer determined the man didn’t threaten anyone specifically and asked him to stay inside for the night. His Xbox controllers were returned to him.

Later, a man called 911 about his Xbox controllers and President Barack Obama, saying he would only speak to a female or black officer. The man was found walking up and down the parking lot yelling.

An elderly neighbor also had called police after she saw the man screaming, “The Bible, The Bible.” He had approached her on her front porch that afternoon and “tried to touch her” and then approached her again that night while he was screaming. The woman became fearful.

Police concluded the man used 911 for a non-emergency situation after being warned, and also “willingly, maliciously and repeatedly harassed his elderly neighbor in such a manner as to cause substantial emotional distress and serving no legitimate purpose.” He was charged with misuse of 911 and stalking/harassment, both misdemeanors. Info from http://www.dailycaller.com/

Man arrested AGAIN for phony 911 calls

A man in Mastic Beach on Long Island, New York who was arrested last year for making hundreds of false 911 emergency calls, was arrested again Thursday for doing more of the same.

Michael Salino was charged with three counts of falsely reporting an incident, for making phony emergency calls Sunday. Police Sgt. Patrick Mahan said, "He definitely was responsible for those three at least and there are others he's suspected of doing."

Salino was arrested in September 2009, and charged with making false 911 calls. Those charges are still pending, but Salino was released on his own recognizance while those charges are being resolved.

Police believe Salino made at least three new false 911 emergency calls Sunday from a cellphone, reporting a fight, a motor vehicle accident and a fire in a park.

Salino was previously charged with making about 300 calls claiming domestic fights, fires, armed robberies, explosions, car crashes and hit-and-runs, police said. At times he spoke quietly and gave a female name, and once identified himself as Christopher Columbus. (info from Newsday)

Woman arrested for trying to use 911 for taxi service

Police in New Haven, Connecticut charged Quandria Bailey with six counts of misuse of the 911 system.

She called 911 six times to request a ride from a nightclub back to her home about 20 miles away. She was released on a $1,000 bond. (Info from WFSB-TV)

Man busted for complaining to 911 about landlord

Sheriff’s deputies in Collier County, Florida arrested Mijael Laboripino on Sunday after they say he repeatedly called 911, trying to get a deputy to keep his landlord out of his residence. Laboripino  was charged with misuse of the 911 system.

Laboripino first called 911 around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, but hung up, according to an arrest report. A minute later, Laboripino called back, requesting a Spanish speaking deputy to come to his home.

When the deputy arrived, he learned that Laboripino’s landlord had served him with eviction papers, which Laboripino disputed. Laboripino wanted the deputy to keep the landlord from his residence to prevent him from posting any additional eviction notices. The deputy said he could not do that because it was a civil matter.

Laboripino called 911 twice while the deputy was speaking with him. He then called again after the deputy left, requesting another deputy because he did not like the information he had been provided.

Later that day, Laboripino arrived at a sheriff’s substation, asking to speak to a deputy, but not to the same deputy he had spoken to earlier.

He then called 911 again, but got angry when the 911 dispatcher again told him that his dispute with his landlord was a civil matter. Another deputy did respond and arrested Laboripino. (info from Naples Daily News)

Man jailed for calling 911 to complain about cop

A deputy in Lake County, Florida was going to let a man go with just a warning during a traffic stop, but the deputy said Chris Detwiller's actions, calling 911 twice to report the deputy's alleged abuse, landed him in jail.

Detwiller told the 911 dispatcher, “Can you please hurry and have a guy come here, because if this guy lays a hand on me, I'm gonna have to defend myself. The only reason why I haven't defended myself yet is because he's a sheriff,” Detwiller said during one of the calls.

The 911 calls landed Detwiller bruised up and in jail. He's charged with dialing 911 for a non-emergency, but Detwiller said he called because he was being wrongfully harassed.

“He's laying a hand on me. The whole nine. I don't appreciate this,” Detwiller said.

“OK,” the dispatcher replied.

“I've done nothing wrong to this guy,” Detwiller told the dispatcher.

"If he's complaining Scott had to put a hand on him to arrest him, well, yeah. Sometimes when you take a person into custody you have to put a hand on him," said Lt .James Vachon, Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Detwiller has never been arrested before and admits being heated when pulled over.

“If you want to leave a complaint about him I can have the supervisor call you,” the dispatcher told him during the calls.

“Correct! I need a supervisor out here,” Detwiller replied.

"The worst thing that can happen out of a traffic stop is a citation," Vachon said. “If you feel you were wronged, take the ticket and file a complaint later.”

"I'm in a lot of pain and discomfort," Detwiller said during the calls.

Detwiler was not charged with resisting arrest or resisting arrest without violence. He plans to hire a lawyer and file a complaint. (info from http://www.wftv.com/)

AT&T connected Salt Lake City callers to 911 in Seattle

In late March many AT&T customers had a big and potentially life-threatening problem. When they called 911 for help, they were connected to an operator 1,000 miles away. AT&T says the problem was fixed but  doesn't know what caused it.

Utah resident Tony Sams said, "We witnessed a hit-and-run incident. We dialed 911." The dispatcher told Sams he had the wrong address, but Sams knew where he was. "I asked, ‘How is this possible? I dialed 911. I'm in Salt Lake. I've never been to Seattle," Sams says.

Somehow, his iPhone had connected him with a far-away emergency response center. He tried several more times with the same result. Finally, Sams looked up the general number for Salt Lake City police. He was told that Caller ID showed he was in Seattle.

"It doesn't make any sense that him being in Salt Lake City, dialing 911, that it would go to Seattle," said Salt Lake City police Sgt. Robin Snyder. "We're not quite sure what happened there."

When KSL News contacted Salt Lake police, they said they thought perhaps he had misdialed, or that the GPS on his phone was malfunctioning. But then officers started calling 911 from their phones, and they discovered that nearly every AT&T phone call was directed to Seattle.

(info from KSL.com)

Drunk driver told 911 she shouldn't be driving

A suspected drunken driver chatted with an emergency dispatcher in East Lansing, Michigan for about 20 minutes before she was pulled over and arrested.

Early in the call, the dispatcher asked, “Are you intoxicated?” The woman replied, “Absolutely” and she told the dispatcher that she “shouldn’t be driving.” The dispatcher pleaded with the woman to pull over and  he helped officers to find the driver.

The woman was issued a citation for operating while intoxicated and faces up to 90 days in jail. Her name hasn’t been released. (info from The Daily Caller.)

Man arrested for prank 911 calls, for second time

Brian K. Everton was jailed in Racine County, Wisconsin for obstructing an officer and non-emergency use of 911. He allegedly made more than 30 prank calls to 911.

A sheriff's spokesman said that his constant calls put a drain on the 911 call center because dispatchers must follow up on any disconnected call to make sure that no one needs help.

Everton was also charged last year for pranking 911. (info from http://www.journaltimes.com/)

911 dispatcher fired for fighting

Sheletha Foster, a 911 dispatcher in Thomasville, Georgia, was fired for fighting on the job with co-worker Patrick Slaughter.

Foster asked Slaughter to cover her radio while she went on break. She says he ignored her, so she went to his desk. He hit her on the arm. She grabbed his headset. They had to be separated by a co-worker. Foster was fired. Slaughter was not disciplined. (info from WALB TV.)

High school students busted for 911 prank calls

Police in Sacramento, California cited two high school students Monday after they made hoax calls to 911 saying that a teacher was going to be shot.

The students made several threats, using the same cellphone, between classes. Police suspected the calls to be a hoax, but took the threats seriously.

Officers responded to the campus and quickly traced the calls back to the students. In the meantime, campus officials closed off all but one entry point to the school, asked teachers to close their doors and brought physical education classes inside. Officers cited the students for reporting a false emergency and confiscated the  phone. (Info from the Sacramento Bee.)

Man busted for hundreds of dirty-talking 911 calls

Timothy Lawrence of Avon Park, Florida was arrested and jailed  for making 218 false calls to 911 on three days last month.
 
On Feb. 13, between 2 and 10:52 a.m., Lawrence is said to have made 151 calls to the 911 center at the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. He would talk only to female dispatchers and made sexually explicit remarks to them. When the female dispatchers asked if the caller needed emergency assistance, he said, "no."

This same pattern continued on Feb. 15, when Lawrence reportedly made 35 911 calls between 1:53 and 8:07 a.m. Thirty-three more calls came between 10:43 a.m. and 1:34 p.m. on Feb. 20. (info from Tampa Bay Online)

Sad, not wacky.Boy died after 911 operator tapped wrong button

Human error was to blame for a mis-disdirected ambulance, possibly causing the death of the person who was supposed to be inside it.

Mariela Lazaro called 911 and said her son’s nose was bleeding, but she was too upset to give her exact cross streets. While searching for the address in the database, a 911 worker tapped the wrong button and located Avenue C in Brooklyn, though Lazaro was actually calling from Avenue C in Manhattan. An emergency crew rushed to the Brooklyn address, but quickly realized something was wrong.

Less than 20 minutes after the original call another crew found the correct home, but by then it was too late. The boy was dead.

It's unclear if Ian Uro could have been saved. He had been sick and he’d been hospitalized for a fever and other symptoms of the flu.

The newly installed call system has been blamed for several fatal mis-dispatches. However, in this case officials blame the operator, not the technology. (info from http://www.gothamist.com/)

No cop helped after six 911 calls about drunk driver

Tim Johnston said he made at least six 911 calls on February 5th while behind a suspected drunken driver in  Oklahoma.

He said he ended up following the driver, going out of his way, hoping an officer would show up to pull over the driver. Finally, Johnston said he gave up,  figuring he might follow the driver all the way to Arkansas without getting any response.

Johnston said once he saw the pick-up start weaving all over the highway, he had no inclination to try and pass it. However, he did decide to follow it. Since Johnston didn’t have the numbers of local police available, he said he phoned 911 when he became concerned that the driver was intoxicated and might hit another vehicle.

(info from the McAlester News-Capital.

Car burglar tasered himself, handcuffed himself, and called 911 for help

Deputees in Lake County, Florida  say Shane Williams-Allen, a serial car burglar, broke into an unmarked police car, shocked himself with a Taser and then put himself in handcuffs and could not get out.

He had to call 911 to set him free. Williams-Allen may be linked to as many as nine car burglaries. (info from http://www.cfnews13.com/) (photo from the New York Times)

Man called 911 twice for ride to Miami

A man in Boynton Beach, Florida called 911 twice claiming that someone was trying to kill him -- so he could get a ride to Miami.

Jose Rodrigues was arrested Monday morning on a charge of giving false information to a law enforcement officer. Rodrigues called 911 claiming that someone was trying to kill him. When police arrived in the area of Interstate 95 where the call was placed, they didn't find anyone and left.

About 15 minutes later, Rodrigues called 911 again. When officers arrived this time, they found a man leaning against a concrete divider wall on I-95. The man, whom police identified as Rodrigues, said he needed to go home. Rodrigues said two men put a hood over his head, tied a rope around his hands, forced him into a car and drove him to that location.

Officers noticed a disabled vehicle in a northbound I-95 lane and spoke with the driver, who said his car broke down and that he had a passenger who "got tired of waiting for a ride and walked away from the car."

Rodrigues later admitted that he just wanted a ride to Miami, police said. (info from WPBF.com)

Women made phony 911 call to commit burglary

Two women in Santa Fe, Texas faked a 911 call so they could burglarize an Emergency Medical Services ("EMS") station.

Paramedics were dispatched after a report of a man needing an ambulance. While no one was at the station, the two women, both former EMS employees, broke into the building and started burglarizing it.

The women were caught red-handed when the ambulance returned. Amanda Grigg and Heather Bemrose face several charges, including burglary and making a false 911 call. (info from KTRK-TV)

Help Haiti!

Haiti shares the island of Hispanola with the more prosperous Dominican Republic. The island is between Cuba and Puerto Rico. Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1492 and founded settlements.

Even during the best of times, Haiti has been a miserable place to live.

Its people suffered as slaves under French colonists, and after revolting and becoming "free," the country was known for turmoil and frequent government takeovers. The United States occupied Haiti from 1915 to 1934.

In 1937 Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the Dominican Army to kill Haitians living on the Dominican side of the border.

Later in the 20th Century, Haitians suffered again under the brutal and corrupt regimes of "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his slightly nicer son "Baby Doc."

Haiti is home to a proud people with a rich culture and important history, but the country is pathetically poor, with a very low literacy rate and one of the worst living standards in the world. Many Haitians left the country.

Haiti was the first independent nation in Latin America, the first post-colonial independent black-led nation in the world, and the only nation whose independence was gained as part of a successful slave rebellion. Haiti is the only predominantly French-speaking independent nation in the Western Hemisphers, and one of just two (with Canada) that designate French as an official language

And now, an earthquake has caused thousands of poorly made buildings to collapes, killing as-yet-uncounted tens of thousands of people.

President Obama, the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense have changed their schedules to deal with the crisis. I changed my blogging schedule to ask readers to donate some money to help, and to encourage others to donate, too.

Google has made it easy to make a donation to help the people of Haiti. Please CLICK to give, and post this information wherever you can.

(Some info above came from Wikipedia)

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Drunk shooter called 911 and was arrested

Two people in Breedsville, Michigan were jailed after a late-night shooting incident. There were no injuries but there was bullet damage to the floor of their home.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a person being shot. They determined that no one had been shot, but a gun had been fired five times. The cops learned that the 911 caller had been in possession of the gun while intoxicated.

The caller resisted arrest and had to be subdued by several officers. Another person at the house had fired the rounds and was also intoxicated.

Breath tests at the scene indicated both had more than twice the legal limit for driving while intoxicated.

Police seized a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum handgun. One person was booked for firearm possession while intoxicated and resisting and obstructing a police officer. The other was booked for firearm possession while intoxicated and reckless discharge of a firearm. (info from http://www.heraldpalladium.com)

Drunk jailed for multiple false 911 calls

A man in Jacksonville, Florida called 911 because his arm hurt, and ended up in jail, not the hospital.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Reginald Higgins called 911, and was angry when the rescue unit that responded told him he didn't need a ride to the hospital. An officer said Higgins appeared intoxicated and slurred his speech as he spewed profanity at the officer and told him to leave.

When Higgins told the officer that he was going to call 911 again and request a different ambulance, the officer advised him not to do it. He did anyway -- four times. Higgins was arrested and charged with making false 911 calls.

(info from First Coast News)