Police: Woman arrested for non-emergency 911 calls

[June 04, 2008]  BENTON (AP) -- Police in Benton say Tabitha Artis was persistent in dialing up the county's 911 system, and they're calling it a crime. The 27-year-old woman was arrested for disorderly conduct for allegedly making several 911 calls police didn't consider emergencies.

Police said she first called the emergency line early Saturday, complaining that her husband left the home with her car keys. When a neighbor reported the Artises fighting, police took Artis' husband away on a suspected parole violation.

Police say Tabitha Artis then called 911 three times in 25 minutes, demanding an explanation for her husband's arrest while dispatchers already were swamped with calls about a weather-related power outage. So police arrested the woman.

The Artises don't have a listed telephone number.

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Information from: Southern Illinoisan, http://www.southernillinoisan.com/

[Associated Press]

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