Brantford man charged after fake 911 call

A 57-year-old Brantford man has been charged with mischief after police say his claims of medical distress put all of Brant County at risk by tying up an ambulance.

Police say officers became involved because the man became so argumentative once paramedics arrived that they had no choice but to call police to assist in taking the man to hospital.

Once the man arrived at the hospital, police say he never saw a doctor, opting instead to leave his room and visit a nearby coffee shop instead.

Police say officers charged the man with mischief for "putting the public in harm's way" because the ambulance that rushed to pick him up, according to police "may have been required at another call for service."

Police looked into the man's background and believe he is responsible for over 50 calls to Brant County Ambulance since May of 2015 at a cost of over $15,000 to local taxpayers.

Bogus 911 calls

Police forces across Canada have been troubled by bogus 911 calls in recent months.

Prank calls in a game of "swatting" have sometimes prompted police to respond to alleged emergency situations by sending heavily-armed forces to what they believed were dangerous situations, only to discover nothing of significance at the scene.

• York police release 'swatting' call
• Surrey, B.C. police respond to fake call