A Clermont man was arrested after making five calls to 911 and kicking the two officers who charged him for it.
Gerald Allyn Duvall, 60, called the emergency 911 line around 5:55 a.m. Sunday to make a complaint about the officers who spoke to him the night prior at Walgreens, according to an arrest report from the Clermont Police Department.
During that case, he was found to be intoxicated and belligerent in the store. He was causing a disturbance and was asked to leave, but due to his inebriated state, an officer gave him a courtesy ride back to his residence on Sunset Lane, the report said.
This officer agreed to speak with Duvall over the phone, but he was very belligerent and cursed at him. Because of his demeanor, the officer ended the call at 6:10 a.m., the report said.
Duvall called dispatch again a minute later, wanting to report the officer for being “rude” to him during the initial phone call. The dispatcher told him that 911 was for life and death emergencies before offering the non-emergency number. He ended the call by requesting a unit meet with him, the report said.
He called once more at 6:16 a.m. to ask for the name of the officer he just spoke with, during which he was told to use the non-emergency line. Still, he called again at 6:21 a.m. to inquire about the officers who responded to the trespassing call from Walgreens, the report said.
Three minutes later, several officers were outside Duvall’s home to speak with him. They asked the dispatcher to tell Duvall to meet them per his request, but he refused and cursed at the call taker. One of the officers got in touch with him over the phone, and he continued refusing to come outside, the report said.
Further investigation determined Duvall had called 911 at 11:30 p.m. Saturday to make the same complaints. He had placed five calls with the same issue and refused to speak with officers despite requesting to do so. He was told by multiple call takers about the misuse of 911, as well, the report said.
Officers kept an eye on the home until a motorized scooter left the property at 8:13 a.m. The vehicle ran a stop sign, so the officer began to follow as it turned around and pulled back onto Sunset Lane. The driver advised that he had lived there for eight years, after which he got the landlord to speak with Duvall about coming outside, the report said.
Once dressed, Duvall walked to the front yard, where he was placed under arrest for the repeated phone calls. He was then escorted over to a patrol vehicle and instructed to spread his feet apart for a search of his person. At that point, he became noncompliant and would not obey orders, the report said.
He continuously pushed off the vehicle, turning toward the officer regardless of commands to stay against the vehicle. He next puffed out his chest and began to advance at one of the officers. When the officer pushed him back, Duvall kicked him, the report said.
He was eventually escorted to the ground, searched and put in the back of the patrol vehicle. The officers were taking him to the Lake County Jail when he began to kick the roof of the vehicle. They had to pull over and restrain his feet to stop him from causing damage, during which he kicked another officer, the report said.
Duvall was ultimately charged with battery on law enforcement officer, misuse of 911 and two counts of resisting without violence. The Connecticut native was booked with bond set at $5,500 bond.