A Florida woman was recently arrested for abusing the 911 system, according to law enforcement.
Helen Alberta Thompson, 60, is charged with one count of misusing 911, according to Marion County court records... Continue reading here ▶
Police say this charge has been a long time coming. Authorities claim Thompson called 911 more than 30 times last year alone.
The most recent call was about a medical issue. Thompson reportedly called to complain about pain in her knee, according to a police report filed by the Dunnellon Police Department.
On December 31, 2024, at around 3:30 p.m., an officer was sent to Thompson’s home in Dunnellon, about 25 miles east of Ocala, after Marion County Fire and Rescue requested police assistance. Misuse of 911 was already suspected.
The officer wrote in the report that Thompson was well known to the police because of her past misuse of 911.
When the officer arrived, Thompson was sitting outside her apartment, waiting for an ambulance. The officer asked her why she called 911, and Thompson explained that her knee hurt and her doctor wanted her to get an x-ray.
When asked if her doctor had told her to call 911, she said no. Thompson admitted that she knew her knee pain was not an emergency, but since she couldn’t drive and didn’t have any friends, she called 911 for transport.
An EMT who knew Thompson also spoke with the officer. The EMT confirmed that Thompson had called 911 for non-medical emergencies 12 times in the past six months. The officer noted that because of her history, law enforcement now had to respond whenever she called.
The officer also mentioned that about five months earlier, they had responded to another 911 call from Thompson for the same reason. At that time, Thompson was warned that further misuse of 911 could lead to an arrest. At that point, she had already called 911 more than 20 times in less than six months.
Thompson was arrested and briefly held in the Marion County Jail. She was released the next day on a personal recognizance bond.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is being represented by a public defender due to her financial situation. Thompson was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon.
