Free Republic

Portland's public safety commissioner has told people to not call 911 unless they're at risk of death - as the Democrat-run city continues to struggle with rampant drug use and a slew of overdoses. Commissioner Rene Gonzalez told locals that its emergency service hotline was overwhelmed with people calling about members of the public suffering fentanyl overdoses. Oregon decriminalized hard drug use three years ago. As a result, he urged people to only call 911 in a life or death emergency, as it was revealed paramedics had been called to deal with eight suspected fentanyl overdoses in the city's once-tony...

A shocking video that shows a white woman calling 911 to report that a black nine-year-old boy allegedly touched her buttocks at a Brooklyn bodega has gone viral on social media. Cellphone video recorded by a witness shows the irate woman shouting into her phone as a mother tries to comfort her two children, a young girl and the boy who had been accused of assaulting the woman. 'That's right, the son grabbed my ass and she decided to yell at me,' the woman dubbed 'Cornerstore Caroline', says of the mother. 'I was just sexually assaulted by a child.'

911 emergency dispatchers in New York have been instructed not to use the work 'Ebola' over the radio. According to the New York Post, officials made the decision in an effort to minimize fear and panic since the radio channels are often monitored by civilians and the media. The Post reports that dispatchers have been instructed to use the code ‘F/T' when discussing callers that have a fever and have a history of travel to West Africa.

An officer from Los Angeles County took to Twitter on Friday when Facebook users called for help to report that the social media website was down. Sgt. Burton Brink, the public information officer in La Crescenta, CA, posted a Tweet reminding people about the reasons for calling them for help. "#Facebook is not a Law Enforcement issue, please don't call us about it being down, we don't know when FB will be back up!" he wrote. Users who tried to get on Facebook around noon EST were greeted with an apology. "Sorry, something went wrong. We're working on getting this...

Police called after woman sees kittens having sex in her yard Sure, cats aren’t for everyone. But we can’t remember the last time someone called the police to complain about a pair of kittens. But that’s exactly what happened in Wisconsin on Thursday when a woman called police after she reportedly witnessed two kittens “having sex” in her front yard. As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s not the only recent time someone has called 911 to report on a cat. Back in February, a Washington State man called 911 to report on a stray cat that had wandered into his...

A man in Colorado claims he was given the boot -- and a trespassing notice that bans him from the property for one year -- from his local Safeway. But it wasn't over shoplifting or anything like that; he says it was all because of a misunderstanding about his poultry order. According to the 61-year-old shopper, he recently stopped into the Safeway to purchase some chicken breasts from the deli counter. And when the woman behind the counter asked which ones he preferred, he says he pointed out his selection and said, "I like the large ones." It's unclear whether...

SAUKVILLE, Wis., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Police in a Wisconsin town said they issued a $429 ticket to a man who allegedly told a fellow grocery store customer she was "ugly and fat." Saukville police said the woman was shopping at the Piggly Wiggly and obtained permission from a clerk to use the express checkout lane, despite having more than 10 items, Milwaukee's WTMJ-AM reported Thursday. However, another customer expressed displeasure at the woman being allowed to skirt the item limit. "The female subject, the complainant, then turned back toward the man (and said) 'I got permission here. Is there...

WATERVILLE — A culinary argument between a brother and sister about whether to use butter or margarine turned violent, resulting in an attack with a knife-edged barbecue spatula, police say. A 21-year-old man called East Wenatchee police on June 6 to say his 17-year-old sister had just attacked him and tried to cut his neck with the serrated edge of the spatula, wrote Officer Carrie Knouf in a police report filed in Douglas County Superior Court. The sister told Knouf she was making macaroni and cheese when her brother asked if she was using butter. “They began to argue over...

An unemployed construction worker frustrated with trying to find work was arrested Saturday on Staten Island for saying he "killed two Mexicans," police said. Michael Franklin called 911 five times Thursday morning after a contractor rejected him in favor of three Hispanic day laborers. The 44-year-old Staten Island man boasted that he just "killed two Mexicans" and "threw them into the Great Kills Harbor." "I'm gonna be riding around all day looking to kill Mexicans," he threatened in his last call. "It all came back negative," said Inspector Michael Osgood, commanding officer of the hate crime unit, of the phony...

-snip On Thursday, April 17, a drive-thru carryout owner and Concealed Handgun License (CHL)-holder was investigating why his security alarm went off after just having closed up for the night when he was surprised by an intruder who had been hiding in his store. The entire confrontation that followed was caught on tape. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IeVxeg4mgI As can be seen in the security video the intruder surprised the store owner, who was forced to draw his gun when the intruder advanced toward him. He ordered the intruder onto his knees, and held him at gunpoint while attempting to dial 911. At that...

(CBS 11 News) DALLAS When you dial 9-1-1, how quickly do you expect a police officer to respond? Some crime victims in Dallas have waited for hours for police to arrive on scene. A CBS 11 investigation found that the problem is widespread. When a crime has been committed against you, there's usually a sinking feeling. "I opened the door, and the first thing I see was the T.V. was missing," said Dallas resident Jonathan Cardenas. "When I pulled my drapes back, the door was wide open," said another victim, a 94-year-old woman. Then there's usually an instinct to seek...

DETROIT -- A 6-year-old boy's 911 call for help was thought to be a prank, but the call was real and the boy's mother died, according to WDIV-TV in Detroit. Robert Turner called 911 to get help for his mother, Sherel Turner, 46, whom he found lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of their Detroit apartment in February, the station reported. "Then I had felt her tummy. She wasn't breathing. Then I had called 911," said Robert. "I told them to send an emergency truck right now." 911 Operator: "911. What's the problem?" Robert: "My mom has passed out." The...

Detroit Police Investigate DETROIT -- A 6-year-old boy's 911 call for help was thought to be a prank, but the call was real and the boy's mother died, according to WDIV-TV in Detroit. Robert Turner called 911 to get help for his mother, Sherel Turner, 46, whom he found lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of their Detroit apartment in February, the station reported. "Then I had felt her tummy. She wasn't breathing. Then I had called 911," said Robert. "I told them to send an emergency truck right now." 911 Operator: "911. What's the problem?" Robert: "My mom has...