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galadriel's avatar

I called 911 saying my boyfriend hit me but he hadn't?

Asked by galadriel (182points) August 29th, 2011 from iPhone

I said it because we were in a heated argument and I thought he was going to hit me , when the police arrived I told them that , and my boyfriend was not arrested , however they came back tonight for a follow up report, the officer was telling me what to write, saying to say I called cause he was in my face but I wasn’t afraid and I said he hit me so they would come faster, I am now worried I could be charged with misuse of 911 and that’s maybe why they came back for this follow up report , Is this possible?

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45 Answers

XOIIO's avatar

No shit, you overreacted way too much, and abused the public right to call 911.

Simone_De_Beauvoir's avatar

You will not be charged with any such thing. Just tell the truth at this stage and it’s going to be fine.

gorillapaws's avatar

I can’t imagine what I would do if a woman falsely accused me of hitting her. It’s a slap in the face of all women who have suffered real physical abuse, and it’s stories like yours that are the reason that many women who are telling the truth about physical abuse aren’t believed.

Also, if you ever do find yourself in a situation where you’ve been physically or sexually assaulted, there is a good chance that your credibility is shot. I hope you never have to experience the punch-line from “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

Ayesha's avatar

Calm down and tell the truth immediately! The sooner the better.

rebbel's avatar

I think you did right, initially.
I mean, you thought he was going to hit you…, that is already a potentially dangerous situation, I think.
The fact that he didn’t is fine, but he could have done it, so then it was a good thing to call the police.
I am sure they can see it like that.
Plus, there is now already a note about that domestic disturbance, which could proof useful for future I don’t hope so, by the way situations.

WestRiverrat's avatar

I have done something similar when I had some hoodlums break into my shed. 911 dispatcher said it would be 90 minutes, I hung up and called back 5 minutes later and said don’t hurry just send the coroner.

Had the cops there in 3 minutes.

josie's avatar

You are now officially a liar (if you were not before). How will you redeem yourself?

Berserker's avatar

If they were gonna charge you, they would have done so by now. I’m sure it was a panic thing, and I’m sure cops see this kinda thing all the time. But from your details, I’m not entirely sure if I can make out whether or not you told them the truth afterward? If not, you probbaly should.

galadriel's avatar

When they arrived I told them that I said he hit me to the operator because I was scared and wanted then there faster but that he ended up not hitting me but this happened Sunday morning and today they came for a “follow up” report which scared me because it was another report and the cop was telling me what to write

blueiiznh's avatar

You will not be charged with anything unless you hit him.
Always speak the truth. If you called because you fear for yourself, then you have a right to call.
If you called because you wanted to pull a “i will call the police trump card” that is wrong.
I don“t think you will be charged with anything. They need to follow rules and procedures and the letter of the law. If a person is in fear or has been hit, the police’s hands may be tied.
The are following up because many people who call when they are in fear, change the story because they feel guilt in making the call.
Tell the truth and it will get sorted out. Tell a lie and it will be found out.
Don’t say anything that someone else wants you to say. Then you tell that lie in court and are really in trouble if it is found out to be false.. Do the right thing and speak the truth

galadriel's avatar

but the Cop told me to write I was not scared he would hit me which I found weird

lillycoyote's avatar

You shouldn’t have falsely accused your boyfriend. The police don’t like to be lied to. I don’t know if there will be any repercussions for this though. They probably at the least need your statement to complete their paper work. They were called to the scene because of an alleged assault and when they arrived they discovered that no assault had take place. All that information need to be in the police report, descriptions of what happened, they need to take statement from everyone involved and witnesses, etc. Whether or not you would face consequences for it. It considered misused of the 911 system, to exaggerate your emergency but it’s kind of a grey are, at least your case, I think. This is what this report on managing 911 abuse and misuse states:

Exaggerated Emergency 911 Calls

Sometimes 911 callers intentionally exaggerate the seriousness of an emergency to get a quicker police response (although it is unclear how extensive this problem is). For example, a caller may falsely report “shots fired” when calling about a dispute or assault. Such 911 misuse is difficult to prove because the caller might simply claim, for instance, that he or she heard shots but did not actually see a gun fired. In other words, the caller knows there is enough room for “caller error” that he or she cannot be charged (or prosecuted) for the exaggerated 911 call.

I don’t understand, though, why the police told you to say you weren’t scared. You were, weren’t you? That’s why you called them. I hope you didn’t say it if you weren’t scared if you were. You should tell the truth.

galadriel's avatar

In my original report I said I was scared and when the police came I said I was scared but today the cop was telling me what to write

Seaofclouds's avatar

Never just write what someone else tells you to write (even if it’s a cop). Write what happened exactly as your remember it. Otherwise, you could get yourself in trouble down the road if something comes back to this and they see two different statements from you.

I know it’s too late to change that now, but remember it for the future.

lillycoyote's avatar

The police shouldn’t have been telling you what to say, what should be in your statement in the first place and @Seaofclouds is absolutely right. Don’t let the police tell you what to say. Their job is to find out what happened and make an accurate report. The officer shouldn’t have done that. Not sure what he’s up to.

john65pennington's avatar

Giving false information to the police can land you in jail. Are you familiar with Casey Anthony?

galadriel's avatar

Why do they do a follow up statement anyway?

JessicaRTBH's avatar

Are you insane? It’s not really a good idea to LIE to police. That is a crime and is a waste of their time. Why do they care if you were scared or not they already know you’re a liar. You’ve damaged your credibility and wasted their time.

galadriel's avatar

I didn’t lie to the police, I told the operator he hit me but even then she called back and I said he didn’t hit me to avoid having the police come but they came anyway, I’ve said that numerous times. I told the police the truth as soon as they arrived , that he hadn’t hit me and I was scared and I wanted them to come quicker

JessicaRTBH's avatar

Then your report says you were scared correct?

galadriel's avatar

My original report but today a different officer came for a follow up report and had me write what he was telling me saying he didn’t hit me and I wasnt scared he might hit me that I just wanted the police there faster , he even had me write i was sorry and thank you.

JessicaRTBH's avatar

I’d say get a new boyfriend and try to be honest especially with police. I have no clue why the police would care if you were scared – only stating that you weren’t and explaining in writing that you LIED just to get them there quicker looks like a set up to take YOu down. Just sayin’

galadriel's avatar

So they could arrest me now?

JessicaRTBH's avatar

Yea pretty much but unlikely. People use 911 for emergency situations not to lie just in case something could go wrong.

galadriel's avatar

so what should I do? I didn’t lie I even told the operator when she called back but the police were already there

JessicaRTBH's avatar

You must realize the 911 call was recorded and it not matching your report to the police doesn’t look great. I’m sure in a domestic case like this they are not after you. It’s just not wise to play games of that nature. You may really need police assistance one day but they could be caught up playing he said, she said with a couple that didn’t even hit each other. You know?

galadriel's avatar

You’re right, ok, thank you.

lillycoyote's avatar

@galadriel And not to beat a dead horse so to speak, and you should never be afraid to call the police if you are in danger, but I suspect that if your boyfriend really was beating the crap out of you, you would prefer that the police be on the way to your house and not on the way to see after some woman who only said she had been hit but hadn’t actually been hit.

wmspotts's avatar

My sister did the same thing to her fiance two Thanksgivings ago. She’s around 5’6” and he’s 6’5” and around 240 lb. She has a temper and he is the nicest most passive guy you could ever meet. They got into an argument and she overreacted, called the police and told them he punched her. Within minutes the police were there, arrested him, no questions asked. Even after she recanted her claim it made no difference. He spent the day (Thanksgiving) in jail. He also got to enjoy a cavity search and spreading over eagle for the guards to search him. She basically emasculated and humiliated him. $5,000 later in legal fees and everything was taken care of. Be careful with your words ladies….they’re a powerful tool.

tom_g's avatar

Wow. I can’t see how this wouldn’t be a crime. You lied to 911 and law enforcement were at your house instead of some other possible real crime because of your lie. You almost had an innocent guy arrested. Not cool.

blueiiznh's avatar

If you don’t know enough by yourself or now that its about telling the truth then you will never get it.
Take whatever outcome happens. It is easy to accept any outcome that is based in truth.

robmandu's avatar

If you honestly believed a hit was imminent, then you did okay. It’s an honest mistake driven by fear… not a prank call and not an unfounded fabrication either.

You would’ve done better if you’d told 911 the actual situation though. I seriously doubt there would’ve been any difference in response time.

Regardless, telling the truth to police from the moment they arrived is your saving grace. You’ve saved yourself and your boyfriend a lot of unnecessary legal hassle.

tom_g's avatar

Also, if you haven’t already, remove yourself from that relationship now. It doesn’t matter if he was going to hit you or not. If you two are unable to communicate without it coming to near or imagined blows, it’s not a relationship worth having. Also, you don’t trust this guy at all if you think he was contemplating hitting you. He’s either a real shit bag or you think he’s a shit bag. Either way, get out.

prioritymail's avatar

I wouldn’t write something down just because someone told me to do it.

asmonet's avatar

@galadriel: You deserve to be prosecuted. Your little antics could very well be taking away from true emergencies and it’s fucking deplorable. I don’t care how scared you were ‘in the moment’ you knew immediately that it was not true, and it’s intention was to take advantage of the system.

Yes, you can be charged. Doubtful as that may be.

Hopefully, you will and you’ll grow the hell up.

galadriel's avatar

Ok thanks you’re very kind . Would they have charged me by now or are they still reviewing everything? It happened 1am Sunday morning .

JessicaRTBH's avatar

Don’t you have a 13 month old and other problems to be worried about besides this? I’m not trying to be rude but honest. This doesn’t seem like the best investment of your time and energy.

galadriel's avatar

Yes I do have a 13 month old, I don’t want to go to jail for being scared my boyfriend was going to hit me

JessicaRTBH's avatar

You mean going to jail for a lie you told 911? I’m sure you’re fine but what do I know? I’m sure lying to authorities is a good way for them to see you as unfit to parent but that could just be an opinion.

lillycoyote's avatar

@galadriel And, because you have a 13 month old, you shouldn’t have a boyfriend you are afraid is going hit you. You’re not just putting yourself at risk, but more importantly, you’re putting your child at risk. Get rid of the guy. You’re not going to go to jail for this. The biggest problem and the biggest threat to your being able to properly care for your child is your boyfriend. If you care about your baby, ditch the boyfriend.

martianspringtime's avatar

I don’t really have anything to back this up, but I think if you tell them the truth and make clear your intentions, they’re unlikely to press charges against you.

I’m really surprised at the harshness with which a lot of people are responding. From what I gather, the OP did not call with the intent of getting an innocent person locked up or because she thought it would be a good time, she was scared. If you truly thought you were in danger, would you not do what you could to prevent it by instinct alone? Maybe not the wisest choice, but certainly not as deplorable as so many of these responses indicate…

skfinkel's avatar

If you have a child, and you even think your boyfriend might hit you, I hope you get some counseling and quick. Calling 911 seems like a bad call. But now that you have done it, tell the truth. But fix your situation. Get some real help.

JessicaRTBH's avatar

I don’t see my answers as harsh. I feel they are honest. As somebody who has been hit I know the difference between fear and it actually happening. I think people who abuse the system are sometimes the reason why it fails. The response time would likely be the same and lying to achieve a different outcome is nothing but manipulation. Having a child in that situation is just stupid. I feel like people who lie about these types of things are seeking attention and make a mockery of people who have actually lived them.

lillycoyote's avatar

@martianspringtime I don’t think the comments are harsh either. The problem isn’t so much that the OP called 911 because she was scared, but because she 1) misused and abused the 911 by exaggerating the nature of her situation, the nature of her “emergency” and because she falsely reported that a crime had been committed, that she had been assaulted by her boyfriend.

Those things, misusing 911; falsely reporting an emergency or giving false information, and falsely reporting a crime are both generally at least misdemeanors in most places, I believe. and 2) because misusing and abusing the 911 system, getting officers to come to your house under false pretenses, when it’s not really an emergency, means that you have taken those officers physically and in terms of their time, away from a situation where there is a real emergency. If you have ever actually had to call 911 in the event of real police or medical emergency I assure you, they simply cannot get there fucking fast enough. Trust me. The idea that someone would lie so police and emergency personnel get to them faster, ahead of someone who really, really needs them is infuriating, to be honest. And as @JessicaRTBH points out, the response time would have most likely have been the same had she not lied.

blueiiznh's avatar

@galadriel Please update us on how it goes.

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