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.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed by the Dunnellon Police Department, the most recent incident involving Thompson was medically-related. Allegedly, Thompson made a call to complain about her knee.
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on December 31, 2024, an officer was sent to Thompson’s residence on Rolling Hills Road in Dunnellon, a small town about 25 miles east of Ocala.
The Marion County Fire and Rescue had enlisted police aid, suspecting a misuse of the 911 line, as outlined in the affidavit.
“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.
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.
