A resident of Ridgecrest Resort in Leesburg was arrested after calling 911 multiple times, claiming his “ESP” warned him about his new neighbors.
Stanley James Blackman, 71, who lives in the 55+ senior mobile home park at 26125 U.S. Hwy. 27, was taken into custody late Wednesday night on a charge of misuse of 911.
The trouble started at about 10 p.m. when Blackman called the emergency line to report a suspicious incident. He told responding Lake County sheriff’s deputies that his “ESP” was telling him something was suspicious about his new neighbors. Deputies made contact with the neighbors but observed nothing out of the ordinary, according to an arrest report.
At 10:48 p.m., the Rhode Island native dialed 911 again, complaining that he was unsatisfied with the law enforcement response to his previous call. Deputies returned to Blackman’s lot and noted he was showing “noticeable signs of inebriation.”
A deputy confirmed Blackman was not experiencing an actual emergency and explained that the 911 system is strictly for emergency situations. The deputy provided Blackman with a business card, pointed out the non-emergency phone number printed on it, and explicitly warned him that calling 911 again without a legitimate emergency would result in his arrest.
Deputies left the scene, but at 11:05 p.m., Blackman called 911 a third time.
According to the report, Blackman was upset about the advice he had received regarding the misuse of the emergency system. When deputies returned to his residence for the third time, Blackman was reportedly argumentative and refused to speak with them, despite having just called the dispatch center.
When Blackman emerged from his residence, deputies placed him in handcuffs. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he was booked and later released on his own recognizance.