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)

Kid's mother called 911 because of his game playing

Boston police say a frustrated woman called 911 because she couldn't get her 14-year-old son to stop playing the Grand Theft Auto video game and go to sleep.

Officer Joe Zanoli recently said the mother called for help around 2:30 a.m. on a Saturday to say that the teenager also walked around the house and turned on all the lights.

Two officers  responded to the call and persuaded the boy to obey his mother.

Zanoli says the mother's 911 call over video game obsession "was a little unusual, but by no means is it surprising..."(info from The Boston Herald)

Wacko woman arrested for 48 phony 911 calls

Caryn Sodaro of Lochbuie, Colorado was arrested recently following a four-month investigation. Police say she made 48 phony 911 calls threatening suicide, asking police to shoot her and claiming that her mother was dying of a heart attack.

Weld County sheriff's spokesman Shane Scofield says the woman used a prepaid cellphone that didn't have a name registered to it. With the help of the phone company, investigators were able to trace the calls to Lochbuie, about 18 miles north of Denver.

Sodaro was being held without bail on suspicion of attempting to influence a public official, a felony, and two misdemeanor offenses of false reporting and resisting arrest. (info from Colorado Connection.)

Not 911:Flashing red Batphone can be delivered before Christmas

Now everyone can have a red phone with a flashing light like Batman.

When there’s trouble in Gotham City, Police Commissioner Gordon calls caped crusader Batman, the secret alter ego of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

At Wayne Manor, the flashing red Batphone is answered by Alfred the butler, who tells Wayne about the trouble. Then Wayne and his young ward Dick Grayson put on their superhero costumes. As Batman and Robin, they race from the Batcave in the Batmobile to battle evil-doers, or rescue citizens in distress.

Now everyone can have a bright red flashing Batphone just like a superhero. When an emergency call -- or even an ordinary call -- comes in, a bright red light centered in a shiny chrome ring starts flashing to attract attention.

The Batphone has classic sixties styling, with heavy-duty construction, a two-year warranty, and is made in the USA. It gets all of its power from the phone line, and doesn’t require a power cord or batteries. It can work on an ordinary home phone line, or on an "analog extension port" in a business phone system.

The phone rings when the light flashes, unless a purchaser prefers the bell to be disconnected for silent signaling, or an optional high-pitched "BatSignal" or buzzer to be installed instead of the bell. Price with the bell is $122, including Priority Mail shipping to all 50 states.

Order online at www.GetABatPhone.com, or call toll-free 1-888-225-3999.

Wacko called 911 to complain about burger

A woman in California called 911 because Burger King did not prepare her Western Cheeseburger the way she wanted it.

Here's a partial transcript from a recording provided by Burger Club NY.

Caller: I'm over here at Burger King in Laguna Niguel ... I'm at a drive-through right now. I ordered my food three times. They're mopping the floor inside and I understand they're busy -- they're not even busy. I've been the only car here. I asked four different times for them to make me a Wester Barbecue Burger. They keep giving me a hamburger with lettuce, tomato and cheese, onions.

I said, "I'm not leaving. I want a Western Burger." I just got my kids from Tae-Kwon-Do, they're hungry.

She gave me another hamburger, it's wrong.

The manager... whoever she is, she said, "do you want your money back?" I said "no, my kids are hungry and I have to jump on the toll freeway."

Dispatcher: OK, so what exactly is it you want us to do for you?

Caller: Send an officer down here. I want them to make me...

Dispatcher: Ma'am, we're not going to go down and enforce your Western Bacon Cheeseburger.

Caller: What am I supposed to do?

Dispatcher: This is between you and the manager. We're not going to enforce having a hamburger. That's not a criminal issue there's nothing criminal there.

Caller: So I just sit here and watch?

Dispatcher: You need to calmly and rationally speak to the manager and figure out what to do between you.

Caller: She did come up and I said, "Can I please have my Western burger?" She said "I'm not going to dealing with [you]"... she walked away.

Dispatcher: This is not a criminal issue...

Caller: You're supposed to protect me...

Dispatcher: What are we protecting you from, a wrong cheeseburger?