There are probably a couple of different ways to get the police to respond to your car theft report a little quicker. But faking a gunshot and calling 911 is probably not one of them.
Yet, that's exactly what 21-year-old admitted gang member Joshua Coleman did, according to a Chicago Sun-Times article. It appears he didn't quite think his plan through and now will need the services of a Chicago criminal attorney.
An obviously uninjured Joshua Coleman reportedly told police "I'm the one who called" when they saw him at the scene of the crime.
It wasn't a shooting crime as he told 911 operators, though, which he brazenly told police himself (according to the police report):
"I said, 'I got shot' to get your asses here quicker. Are you gonna do anything about my car?"
What do you think?
He actually called emergency dispatchers to tell them his car was stolen, according to Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Erin Antonietti, but was "not pleased" when police didn't immediately arrive. So he called 911 again but told dispatchers he was shot in the leg.
The article doesn't mention what the police did or didn't do about Joshua Coleman's stolen car, but they probably were not terribly motivated after learning about the faked 911 call. He was promptly arrested and charged with felony disorderly conduct for filing a false report.
And since he was sentenced to 18 months of probation for possession of drugs just two weeks ago, Joshua Coleman was really pressing his luck. Judge Maria Kuriakos originally ordered him held on $30,000 bond but later ordered him held without bail for violating his probation.
Disorderly conduct is charge used as a "catch-all" for obnoxious or unruly behavior where there may be no serious public danger, according to FindLaw. Some may argue, however, that abusing emergency dispatch services always presents a risk to public safety.
Related Resources:
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Man Calls 911 to Report Missing Marijuana, Gets DUI (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
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Florida Man Arrested for Calling 911 Dispatcher, Asking for Sex (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
