Earlier today USA Today reported that 52 year-old Gregory Jackson Sr. of Indiana repeatedly called 911 because of his desperate need for a cheeseburger. On the first call, the operator struggles to understand Jackson's slurred speech.
“Do you have an emergency, sir?” the dispatcher asked, “ Because you dialed 911.”
“I dialed 911,” Jackson restated.
When the dispatcher asked, “Why did you call 911 for? What do you need?”
Jackson said simply, “A cheeseburger.”
The dispatcher said, “Have a good day,” before he ended the call.
Jackson called back shortly after that. “Yes, I just spoke with you. You hung up on me,” he said.
The operator responded, “Well, I asked if you had an emergency. You said no, you needed a cheeseburger. So we don't take cheeseburger orders.” Then he hung up on Jackson a second time.
According to WISHTV, Jackson called a total of 9 times within 90 minutes. Eventually, the dispatcher got Jackson to reveal his address and sent police to his apartment, concerned that Jackson may not have eaten in a long time.
Police discovered that Jackson had been arrested more than 12 times in the past, largely for alcohol related incidents and had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court. The warrant had been issued only two days prior to the calls. Jackson was arrested on that warrant, but was not arrested for abusing emergency services.
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