Winnipeg police say a man high on meth made dozens of fake calls to 911 operators New Year’s Day, claiming people were being assaulted.
The first call came in Jan. 1 at about 11:10 p.m. when a man called to say a family was being sexually assaulted in the Burrows-Keewaitin area.
But when police got to the house, the family said they were fine and had not called police.
Over the next 4.5 hours, 911 “received an additional 78 unfounded and false calls,” said police.
The caller at the other end of the line claimed people were in distress or being attacked, and left fake names and false addresses.
Call takers spent about two hours dealing with the calls and identifying the caller, said police.
“This does not include additional time spent where call takers conducted traces and spent time contacting other resources.”
Just before 4 a.m., officers found a man at a home on Boyle Street and arrested him. “It is believed that the male, high on methamphetamine, placed the 79 false calls to 911,” said police.
Joseph Paul Peters, 23, faces public mischief charges. He is in custody.
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