ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Petersburg man is under scrutiny after investigators say he made more than 16,000 calls to 911 over the past five years, many of them not emergencies.

Police say Samuel Thomas is responsible for over 3,000 calls this year alone, including hundreds aimed at one specific family on his street.

“I do notice sometimes if the music is too loud, he will start calling and cussing and raising hell,” one neighbor told 8 On Your Side.

Officers say the tipping point came when Thomas reported someone firing an AR-15 in the street near 11th Avenue. But when police arrived, they found children playing in a yard and a family enjoying a barbecue.

“You’re reporting that somebody’s shooting off an AR-15. We’re going to send a lot of resources out to see you instead of just one or two,” Kathy Shulmister, emergency communications center assistant manager, explained. “It can be extremely dangerous, especially for the neighbors.”

Dispatchers said more than 600 calls have been made from Thomas targeting the same home, and most had no basis for a police response.

“He usually calls about the kids in the street that are playing basketball or drug dealers down the road,” Shulmister said. “He gives us vehicle descriptions, people descriptions and oftentimes when we get out there, there is no complaint that is valid.”

When reached briefly by phone, Thomas denied any wrongdoing and told 8 On Your Side he’s simply reporting “neighborhood nuisances.”