BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- A 16-year-old has been arrested for misuse of the 911 system after police say he made 8 false 911 calls.
Here's false 911 that led SWAT team to search Walmart for gunman. Teen arrested Saturday for misuse of 911. https://t.co/t6VT6hceO2
— Boynton Beach Police (@BBPD) December 12, 2016
On Saturday morning, the teen called 911 and said he cut his finger off and blood was spurting everywhere.
When officers and Fire Rescue personnel rushed to a house in the 2000 block of SW Golf Lane, they found there was no emergency.
Dispatchers were able to determine the location where the call ended, and officers went to the Boynton Beach Mall to investigate.
Officers observed a teen matching the description of a suspect who made a previous false 911 call that was captured on surveillance video.
Police spoke with the teen, who voluntarily agreed to come back to the police department to speak with detectives.
Detectives obtained a consent to search his cell phone, then used it to call 911. Dispatch verified his phone was the same number that called in the false medical emergency.
Police say the phone was also used in 7 previous false 911 calls, including one on November 26 where a false report of an armed gunman in a Walmart was reported.
The teen was charged with unlawful use or misuse of the 911 system and taken to a Juvenile Assessment Center. Additional charges are pending.
