Police are now charging people who call 911 to complain about Amber Alerts
Ask and you shall (sometimes) receive, angry internet people.
A 70-year-old Hamilton man has become the first known Ontario resident to be formally charged by police for calling 911 to complain about an Amber Alert.
Douglas Bagshaw was charged with mischief, according to Hamilton Police, after repeatedly calling 911 on Tuesday evening when an Amber Alert was issued for five missing children from the Niagara region.
Calling 911 to complain about Amber Alerts? Think again. HPS has charged a male after he called 911. He was angry about receiving the alerts & indicated he would continue calling to tie up emergency lines. He now faces a day in court in #HamOnt. Read more: https://t.co/js4RXFR0Fa
— Hamilton Police (@HamiltonPolice) October 3, 2019
"At 5:04 p.m. on October 1, 2019, Hamilton Police received a 911 call from a male who stated that he did not have an emergency and was calling 911 to purposely tie up emergency lines," reads a statement released by police in Hamilton on Thursday.
"The male was angry about receiving the Amber Alert on his phone since he was trying to rest. He indicated he would continue to call in response to the ongoing alert."
Fortunately, the five missing siblings were found safe with their father on Wednesday — as a direct result of the Amber Alert, mind you.
Every damn person that calls 911 to bitch about Amber Alerts should be charged.😠 pic.twitter.com/1YA1CoCfwX
— Fireman620🇨🇦 (@firemanhood) October 3, 2019
Bagshaw is the only person we know of so far to have been charged for misusing 911, but he's far from the only person to call emergency responders and complain about recieving an Amber Alert on Tuesday evening.
"ATTENTION: The Toronto Police have been receiving calls from the public complaining about the Amber Alert," wrote Toronto Police Service media relations officer Alex Li in a statement that same night.
"Please do NOT call police to complain, instead find compassion and have the understanding to help locate these children!" Li warned. "Amber Alerts are issued for a reason."
