E911 prank call, I thought...

[MikePA]

It troubles me that someone can call 911 from OUTSIDE my home and that gives the police supposedly the right to just barge on in like that. Remember, the O.P. said that the perps were on a CELL phone. The call didn't even originate from inside their home.

What's the importance or relevance that the 911 call was made from a cell phone?

What else are the police supposed to do?

 

[MikeD74T]

... What else are the police supposed to do?

Well, I've since found out that the in town officer walked around our house for nearly 5 minutes until his backup arrived. It seems that several high court decisions have declared that no officer has a duty to respond to a scene that may place him/her in imminent danger. Since the officer didn't hear or see anything that could have caused further alarm during the walk around he could have stayed outside & merely asked to speak to everyone in the household. Both my wife's & my reaction to his presence indicated that neither of us had any idea why he was at our door. It seems that anyone with a phone can now have anyone declared a criminal until they prove otherwise. As I said 911 is a service forced on me for the convenience of government that I could do without. MikeD74T

 

[USMC.27]

What's the importance or relevance that the 911 call was made from a cell phone?

What else are the police supposed to do?

I can't say how it works every where, but I know that here when you call 911 from a cell phone it gives the address from the cell tower that originated the call.

it does not matter if there is a response or not, the police can not side step the constitution. We do have certain instances that the courts have given us authority to enter peoples homes, but the officer must have a set of articulable facts that will hold up in Federal Court. I'm not going to jail for no one! It is a slippery slope, and let me say that I do appreciate the support that most of you seem to have for the police and the job we do. If there is one thing I can't stand is when one bad officer makes the rest of us look bad! I try very hard to instill in my officers that they are no better than the public we serve, and that they should treat everyone with respect. What is the old saying...."you catch more flys with honey than with vinegar".

 

[Ken45101]

It troubles me that someone can call 911 from OUTSIDE my home and that gives the police supposedly the right to just barge on in like that. Remember, the O.P. said that the perps were on a CELL phone. The call didn't even originate from inside their home.

So if a neighbor hears fighting and screaming and calls police, police should take the word of whomever answers the door (and is still alive) that everything is okay? :confused2:

Enhanced 911 is supposed to give a location, if it's working berfectly [sic]. Many locations do not have have enhanced 911. Here in southern Ohio, calling 911 gets me a Kentucky dispatch center (nearest tower) and they have to transfer the call to our county. The county has no information, they ask my name and phone number, I don't think anyone around here has enhanced 911.

Not that I would really expect any quick response. We only have one deputy on road duty and he can be 45 minutes away in an emergency, if he is available at all.

Ken

 

[Ridgewalker]

Rant Mode ON!

I have a issue with this statement. Any officer wanting to come into my house will have a search warrant or he will remain on the front step.

Never trust a cop, they will lie if it suits their purpose. I speak from first hand experience thanks to an incident with my son. I won't go into details but what I SAW happen and what ended up on the report weren't even close.

If any of you are "good cops" you can thank the lying no good sob bad cops for my opinion of your profession.

Rant Mode OFF!

Yep. A certified LEO has not only the 'right' but the 'duty' to enter any premises to investigate a crime in progress. 911 calls are 'crime in progress'.

Harry K

 

[LMTC]

In our case the call came from a nearby home, clearly identified to the dispatch center via caller ID. Adult female occupant of that home has been "pink slipped" several times, i.e., involuntarily admitted to hospital for mental health reasons. First LEO was out of jurisdiction, but closest, and asked me to come out to the porch....I did, closing the door behind me. Second LEO arrived who had jurisdiction. NEITHER one knew what the specific call was....only that they had a "domestic disturbance" call from an OUTSIDE number per their dispatch

NO effort made by responding LEOs, before coming to our house or as they left, to question the caller. Eventually I was able to get them to have dispatch read a transcript of the call....stated " sounds like a man is cutting up a woman with a power saw". Officer forced his way into the house, even though I came out on to the porch at their request and my wife came to the door and said she did not want them inside. Officer could not have been more rude. Actually chest bumped me when he came on to the porch and demanded to know what I had been doing. He then altered his report so as not to reflect reality. First (out of jurisdiction) LEO later confirmed my version of everything.

Absolutely horrible experience for us. LEO entered the house even though both my wife and I denied permission (though I made it clear I would not do anything to interfere, but adamantly denied permission). LEO FORCED my wife to go to a room alone with him, (ALONE....why is this OK????) where she says he repeatedly told her she just needed to tell him what I'd done and he would make sure I couldn't hurt her. Like it's not already obvious I was not cutting her up with a power saw?? Bottom line...minor departmental action (I assume something disciplinary, but I was never told...nor did I or my wife ever get an apology), and I now have a totally different attitude. I find it unconscionable that an anonymous person, calling from a phone outside the home, can supposedly give LEOs the "authority" to enter my home and do as they please. I understand (though not necessarily agree) with entering after a hangup and no response from WITHIN the home. I know one LEO from the repsonding department, and have always known him to be a horse's south half. After this he made a point to tell me that if he ever had the opprtunity to pull me over at night I could expect a full vehicle and body search. I know not all LEOs are like this, but I have to believe fellow officers know who these guys are....and even tolerating them is allowing them to continue their abusive bullying behaviors.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Here is a perfect example of why I now detest this profession.

Where have all the good cops gone? I respected the heck out of the officers I knew growing up. Today they all appear to be ex military types who think they are still a war.

In our case the call came from a nearby home, clearly identified to the dispatch center via caller ID. Adult female occupant of that home has been "pink slipped" several times, i.e., involuntarily admitted to hospital for mental health reasons. First LEO was out of jurisdiction, but closest, and asked me to come out to the porch....I did, closing the door behind me. Second LEO arrived who had jurisdiction. NEITHER one knew what the specific call was....only that they had a "domestic disturbance" call from an OUTSIDE number per their dispatch

NO effort made by responding LEOs, before coming to our house or as they left, to question the caller. Eventually I was able to get them to have dispatch read a transcript of the call....stated " sounds like a man is cutting up a woman with a power saw". Officer forced his way into the house, even though I came out on to the porch at their request and my wife came to the door and said she did not want them inside. Officer could not have been more rude. Actually chest bumped me when he came on to the porch and demanded to know what I had been doing. He then altered his report so as not to reflect reality. First (out of jurisdiction) LEO later confirmed my version of everything.

Absolutely horrible experience for us. LEO entered the house even though both my wife and I denied permission (though I made it clear I would not do anything to interfere, but adamantly denied permission). LEO FORCED my wife to go to a room alone with him, (ALONE....why is this OK????) where she says he repeatedly told her she just needed to tell him what I'd done and he would make sure I couldn't hurt her. Like it's not already obvious I was not cutting her up with a power saw?? Bottom line...minor departmental action (I assume something disciplinary, but I was never told...nor did I or my wife ever get an apology), and I now have a totally different attitude. I find it unconscionable that an anonymous person, calling from a phone outside the home, can supposedly give LEOs the "authority" to enter my home and do as they please. I understand (though not necessarily agree) with entering after a hangup and no response from WITHIN the home. I know one LEO from the repsonding department, and have always known him to be a horse's south half. After this he made a point to tell me that if he ever had the opprtunity to pull me over at night I could expect a full vehicle and body search. I know not all LEOs are like this, but I have to believe fellow officers know who these guys are....and even tolerating them is allowing them to continue their abusive bullying behaviors.

 

[2manyrocks]

What's the importance or relevance that the 911 call was made from a cell phone?

What else are the police supposed to do?

Would be a good practice to ask for identification of the person making the call.

At least these officers observed the house for a while before knocking so they should have had some sense that this was a fake call as opposed to jumping in and trying to bully their way into a nonexistent case.

 

[wvpolekat]

This is not entirely true, at least in Texas. We still have to abide by the 4th amendment. A 911 call gives leo's the reasonable suspicion to respond and investigate, however we would still need probable cause to enter someone's home to further that investigations. Generally if there is nothing wrong we receive cooperation and are invited into the home. If we are met with resistance then this is another fact that is used to build the P.C. There is an exception called exigent circumstances, i.e. you approach the door and see violence being committed, or you can hear that there is a disturbance taking place. In these type situations we can enter the residence if we are acting on good faith that an offense is being committed.

Not allowing unwarranted entry cannot contribute to P.C., doing so is directly contrary to the purpose of the 4th amendment. It is not "resistance" to know your rights and stick to them. If a LEO could perform an unwarranted search every time someone said "No, you may not enter/search my car/home", the 4th amendment just ceased to exist for all intents and purposes. I would NEVER allow a LEO to enter my home without a warrant. Doing so waives your rights. I would be more than happy to speak with them at the door and answer any questions they may have with complete honesty and respect, but if they want to enter, they will need a warrant.

There is case law on this, but I do not have it in front of me.

 

[MPrewitt]

Here in East Texas when you call 911 from a cell phone, they put a lock on that cell phone so you cannot make any calls out to another number. I don't know about if you were to try and call 911 again if it would work or not. Then after the officer arrives and deals with the cituation the hold is released and the phone goes back to working as normal. This has happened twice to my cell phone.