The Sheriff’s Office investigated a series of about a dozen cell 911 calls that were coming from various locations in the Town of Farmington on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 starting about 3:50 p.m.
Responding deputies were able to determine the calls were originating from a moving school bus. The deputy stopped the school bus in the area of Hwy 144 and County Trunk H where the bus driver was not aware of the emergency calls originating from the bus.
Contact was made with the “suspects”, who were identified as a 7 and 9 -year-old brother and sister from the Town of Farmington. Although the Sheriff’s Office normally takes a firm stand on such abuse, the deputy saw this as a “teaching moment” and spoke to all the children on the bus about the real life consequences for misusing 911.
No handcuffs, no interrogation in a poorly lit room with one-way glass. No stare down waiting for the suspect to bend as we search for the truth. We leave that up to the parents – with the obvious exception of the handcuffs.
Contact was also later made with the parent who was not aware that a deactivated cell phone will still dial 911. The dynamic duo no longer have the phone in question.
Courtesy the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.