st. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) – A St. Petersburg man is under scrutiny after investigators say he has made more than 16,000 calls to 911 over the past five years.
Police say Samuel Thomas has been in charge of more than 3,000 calls this year alone.
“If the music is too loud, he calls, starts raising hell, he starts raising hell,” one neighbor told your side to 8.
Officials say the turning point came when Thomas reported who fired an AR-15 on the street near 11th Avenue. However, when police arrived they found a family enjoying a barbecue with children playing in the garden.
“You’re reporting that someone is shooting an AR-15. You’re sending out a lot of resources to meet you, not just one or two,” explained Kathy Schulmister, assistant manager of the Emergency Communication Center. “It can be very dangerous, especially for neighbors.”
The dispatcher said more than 600 calls were made from Thomas, who targeted the same home, but most had no basis for police response.
“He usually calls about street kids running basketball and drug dealers,” Shulmister said. “He has no valid complaints to us when he explains the vehicles, people, and often when he comes out there.”
When they were temporarily reached by phone, Thomas denied the cheating and told eight to eight people who were simply reporting “neighborhood nuisance.”
Thomas has never been charged with misusing a 911 before, but this week he faces charges of stalking, harassment and misuse of a 911 call. He has since been released on bonds.
