[guitarman1]

An 86-year-old North Carolina woman was jailed after police said she called US emergency dispatchers 20 times in a little more than a half-hour - all to complain that a pizza shop wouldn't deliver.

Dorothy Densmore was charged with misusing the emergency telephone hotline, jail spokeswoman Mandy Giannini said.

She told dispatchers on Sunday that a local pizza shop refused to deliver to her south Charlotte apartment, said Giannini.

She also complained that someone at the shop called her a "crazy old coot," Giannini said.

Densmore wanted them arrested. Instead, police came to arrest her, and she resisted, Giannini said.

It's unusual for someone to face charges for non-emergency calls, Giannini said.

But on Sunday, Densmore kept calling 911, even after she was told to stop, Giannini said.

When an officer arrived at her apartment, the 1.5 metre-tall, 44.5 kg woman attacked him, Giannini said. (What GUTLESS CHICKEN ARSE COPS ARE THESE FLEABAGS)

Densmore scratched him, kicked and bit his hand, she said.

Densmore is also charged with resisting a public officer and two counts of misusing the emergency telephone system, jail records show.

STORY about 86 y.o.

AP
Outrageous, 86 frail and OBVIOUSLY SENILE, I know who the criminals are on this one and there not 86, Wake Up America what are you coming to? My 1st wifes mother at a similar age and SIZE attacked staff and fellow patients , she was suffering from senile dementia and NOT a violent criminal and was treated accordingly.

[linskyjack]

Yeah, sounds like Alzheimers or some form of dementia.

[poochee]

Maybe she was just expressing herself.

[thingamajig]

Originally Posted by guitarman1

Outrageous, 86 frail and OBVIOUSLY SENILE, I know who the criminals are on this one and there not 86, Wake Up America what are you coming to? My 1st wifes mother at a similar age and SIZE attacked staff and fellow patients , she was suffering from senile dementia and NOT a violent criminal and was treated accordingly.

Well...... what do you do with the elderly who suffer from dementia? A friend of mine had complained that her father likes to have his penis licked by the neighbor's dog (out in the open in the yard). The neighbors have been kind enough to contact the old man's adult children but how often do their young children have to see this before they should call the police? If an adult commits a crime (like abusing 911 over a freakin pizza delivery) who else is going to do something besides the police?

[marcus77]

I think it was good that she was jailed. I think that it's something that needed to ne done given the circumstances.

What is your solution? Do you think that the police should just allow her to keep calling 911 because she may be senile?

[poochee]

People with dementia need close supervision and sometimes medication. Some of them do unseemly things if not supervised properly. They can also be a danger to themselves as well as others. If the family can't handle it, there are facilities where they can be placed where they are safe and well supervised.

[tomlunt]

[quote=guitarman1] Outrageous, 86 frail and OBVIOUSLY SENILE, I know who the criminals are on this one and there not 86, Wake Up America what are you coming to?

I live in Charlotte, so i've seen this on several news stations and in the paper - guess what? NO ONE is saying she was senile or had dimentia. NO ONE. She was just very mad and upset. I repeat, there is not one shred of evidence that she was senile. If I acted like that, I'd be arrested, not considered senile, so the actions themselves are not proof that she is senile.

So what were the police supposed to do? Laugh it off, ignore her????? Just because she is 86 years old and frail? What if she was 76, and not so frail? Or 66 and healthier still. Or maybe 56, and had some decent strength? Or 46, or 36. Where do you draw the line????? The police had to do something.

Guitarman1 - What should the police have done differently??????????

Tom

[tomlunt]

From the Charlotte Observer ...

An 86-year-old Charlotte woman was slated to spend a second night in jail Monday after she was charged with misusing the 911 system.

Dorothy Densmore was arrested Sunday afternoon after police said she called 911 dispatchers 20 times in 38 minutes.

She told dispatchers that a local pizza shop refused to deliver a pie to her south Charlotte apartment, said Officer Mandy Giannini, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police spokeswoman.

She told dispatchers someone at the pizza shop called her a "crazy old coot," Giannini said. Densmore wanted them arrested. Instead, police came to arrest her, and she resisted, Giannini said.

The 911 system is for emergencies, Giannini said, and those who call with civil problems tie up the lines for those with real emergencies.

As of Monday night, Densmore remained in custody in the Mecklenburg County jail on a $2,000 secured bond. Her bond amount may be re-evaluated today, when she is scheduled to appear in court.

It's unusual for someone to face charges for nonemergency calls, Giannini said. She could recall only one other case: a teenager who wanted to see his neighbor's house raided by police.

People often call 911, though, to complain that their satellite television has gone out, the clog won't drain or even to ask the time, she said. But once told they could be arrested for tying up the system, Giannini said, they usually stop calling.

And in July, Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents will have an easy-to-remember phone number -- 311 -- to report nonemergency police matters or questions about city services.

But on Sunday, Densmore kept calling 911, even after she was told to stop, Giannini said.

When an officer arrived at her apartment, the 5-foot-tall, 98-pound woman attacked him, Giannini said. Densmore scratched him, kicked and bit his hand, she said. The officer did not need medical treatment, she said.

Densmore now faces three misdemeanor charges: resisting a public officer and two counts of misusing the 911 system, jail records show.

It was the second time she'd been charged with misusing the emergency system, court records show.

In March 2004, police said she called 911 about 10 times after she was asked to stop, a police report says. She then threatened to hit the officer with a chair when he came to arrest her, the report states.

In that case, though, she never had to spend the night in jail because she had a $500 unsecured bond, said Julia Rush, a sheriff's office spokeswoman.

This time, she had a higher bond because she failed to show up in court on the earlier charge, Rush said. She was being held amid the general women's population at the central jail site.

Besides those two sets of 911-related misdemeanors, Densmore does not have a criminal record in North Carolina, court records show.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observe...l/11722231.htm

[guitarman1]

Well gee let me guess SHE'S 86 ,2nd time she did it, hmm I'd take a punt and suggest that there is NO way she's not CRAZY,because it really seems like she fails to grasp the consequences of her actions so an OLD age nursing home or a MENTAL health facility would seem the civilized way of dealing with this obviously mentally sick 86 year old, gee whats up with some of you heartless people ,don't you have any really elderly realives? My father though not senile has always been "a grumpy old man" he's 83 jail would be a death sentence for him, don't any of you have grannies or great grannies what do you think would happen to them in jail? They could just IGNORE her alternatively, 86 is really getting old ,wake up!

[Wino]

Let me see if I get this correctly from reading this and another thread......................under age 7 and over 80......bad behavior is acceptable, a non-punishable offense, and exceptions should be made?

BTW, pizza addiction withdrawal can be very serious. There is always the possibility the lady had eaten some magic brownies and had a severe case of munchies.

[tomlunt]

Originally Posted by guitarman1

Well gee let me guess SHE'S 86 ,2nd time she did it, hmm I'd take a punt and suggest that there is NO way she's not CRAZY,because it really seems like she fails to grasp the consequences of her actions so an OLD age nursing home or a MENTAL health facility would seem the civilized way of dealing with this obviously mentally sick 86 year old, gee whats up with some of you heartless people ,don't you have any really elderly realives? My father though not senile has always been "a grumpy old man" he's 83 jail would be a death sentence for him, don't any of you have grannies or great grannies what do you think would happen to them in jail? They could just IGNORE her alternatively, 86 is really getting old ,wake up!

Ignore her ... and the law. OK. Sounds like a plan to me. By the way, at what age do you start ignoring the law ... and who gets to make that call?

TL

[Dude044]

I don't see that the police had much choice,a fine maybe ,but jail sounds a bit harsh,on the other hand if she is ill she obviously needs medical help.

[Mulderator]

I was going to mention how is guitarman knows she's senile? Also, the police and the judge are trained to take mental capacity into account. In that situation, the court would order a psychiatric evaluation and if she truly was unable to comprehend the wrongness of her actions, se would not be put (or kept) in jail.

Guess what guitarman--we have a system and the system works. If it were up to people like you, we'd have no system--every bleeding heart liberal would demand every criminal be set free for some reason--twinky defense, societal wrongs, discrimination, socio-economic exploitation, etc. etc., ad nauseum--the reasons would never stop--the system would never work and we'd all be living in a guitarman madhouse!

[iltos]

Originally Posted by Mulder

the system would never work and we'd all be living in a guitarman madhouse!

your point is well taken....but you gotta admit, there have been a flurry of unrelated but still wierd threads today .....

i'm thinking we need some kinda balance between guitarman's madhouse and YOURS

[linskyjack]

I say that the punishement for this lady should be blockage of her access to 911.