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Helen Thompson (Dunnellon Police Department).
A Florida woman was recently arrested for overusing the 911 system, according to law enforcement in the Sunshine State.
Helen Alberta Thompson, 60, stands accused of one count of misuse of 911, Marion County court records show.
But, police suggest, the charge is a long time coming.
Authorities allege the woman dialed the county’s 911 dispatch line well over 30 times last year alone.
The latest incident was technically medically-related, authorities say. Thompson allegedly called to complain about her knee, according to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Dunnellon Police Department.
On Dec. 31, 2024, at around 3:30 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the woman’s address on Rolling Hills Road in Dunnellon — a small town located roughly 25 miles due east of Ocala.
Marion County Fire and Rescue had requested police assistance, according to the affidavit. And, misuse of the 911 line was already suspected, the court document says.
“It should be noted that Thompson is well known to the police department, due to her numerous misuses of 911,” an officer wrote in the affidavit.
Here’s how the officer described their interaction:
Upon arrival at the address, I made contact with Thompson while she was sitting outside of her apartment, waiting on the ambulance. I then asked Thompson what her medical emergency was and why did she call 911, to which she stated “my knee hurts…my doctor wants me to get an x-ray.” I then asked Thompson if her doctor had told her to call 911 about her knee pain, to which she stated “no.” Thompson then stated that she knew her knee pain was not a medical emergency, but due to her not driving and “not having any friends”, Thompson called 911 for transport.
After that, an emergency medical technician with knowledge of the defendant arrived on the scene and spoke with the officer.
“Thompson has called 911 for non-medical emergencies (where an ambulance has responded) 12 times in the past 6 months,” the officer wrote. “[D]ue to Thompson’s long history of misuse of 911, it is now required for law enforcement to respond with the ambulance.”
The officer then shared their own history with the defendant.
“It also should be noted that about 5 months ago, I responded to Thompson’s address at the request of EMS for the same type of call,” the affidavit goes on. “During that contact with Thompson, [she] was warned that any further misuse of 911 could result in her arrest. At that time, Thompson had called 911 over 20 times in less than 6 months.”
Thompson was arrested and briefly detained in the Marion County Jail. She was released on a personal recognizance bond the next day.
She has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge and is being represented by a public defender because she is indigent.
Thompson was arraigned on Wednesday afternoon.