By Sarah Roebuck
Corrections1
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — A corrections officer at the Polk Correctional Institute was arrested for misusing 911 following a traffic stop, FOX13 reports.
A deputy was on patrol on June 30 at 11:45 p.m. when he observed a man driving a red Jeep and repeatedly honking his horn, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop and approached the man, identified as a corrections officer. When the deputy asked the man why he was honking his horn, the man told him that it “makes him drive faster,” the sheriff’s office said.
After the deputy wrote a citation for the violation, the man became upset and verbally abusive and dialed 911, according to the report. When the deputy asked the man to hang up, the man refused and said he did not agree with the citation, the sheriff’s office said.
The man was then arrested on charges of misusing 911 and resisting arrest, according to the report.
The Florida Department of Corrections was notified of the arrest.
“We expect more professional behavior from those who work in the public service industry,” stated Sheriff Grady Judd. “And dialing 911 because you are upset that you received a traffic citation is not only ridiculous, it ties up an emergency line and resources that are designated for those who have true emergencies.”
