Jonathan Hinkle, 28, wanted desperately to go to Hooters and made up a story about his grandmother having a stroke, just to get a Free Ride. According to Fox 29, this is the fourth time Hinkle has been in trouble for misusing the 911 emergency system. Hinkle was taken into custody this week for the 911 call he made in March.
Man dials 911 to report his grandmother suffering a stroke
According to police, Hinkle called 911 at 2:30 a.m. on March 5, telling emergency dispatchers that his grandmother was about to suffer a stroke at Hooters. While he reportedly declined medical assistance for his grandmother, he told them he needed a ride to go and meet her.
Hinkle went on to say his grandmother couldn’t see very well and has a lot of problems in her life. He then went on to offer money to the emergency dispatchers if they would just get him to Hooters to help her. Hinkle went on to say he knew it wasn’t a serious emergency but added that his grandmother has had several heart bypasses and was about to have a stroke.
No medical assistance required - just a lift
When the dispatcher asked Hinkle if he knows whether she is having a stroke, he replied to the negative, but said she urgently needs his help. When the dispatcher asked for confirmation that Hinkle needed their assistance to get to Hooters to help his grandmother, but that at that time she didn’t require medical assistance, Hinkle confirmed she didn’t need medical assistance.
Hinkle explains why grandmother is at Hooters
When asked why his grandmother was at Hooters, Hinkle went into a complicated story about her eating dinner at the LongHorn Steak House with the family. He said her car malfunctioned and she was stuck at Hooters. Police at this point of the call noted that the steak house in question had closed three-and-a-half hours prior to his 911 call.
Rather surprisingly, Hinkle got his wish and a police car picked him up at a 7-Eleven in Merritt Island in Florida. The officer took Hinkle to Hooters and searched for his allegedly ill grandmother, without success. As for Hinkle, he was let out of the car at which point he thanked the police officer and ran off.
The officers tracked Hinkle down to a Burger King where he was with his girlfriend.
He went on to tell the officers he had found his grandmother and that she was fine. He then launched into a story about helping his girlfriend saying she was having car problems. Hinkle told the officers his grandmother was with her daughter and gave them the phone number.
Hinkle’s story invented to help his girlfriend who had a car accident
The officers contacted Hinkle’s grandmother to find out she had never asked Hinkle for help and wasn’t having a stroke. According to police, as far as they can tell Hinkle had lied about his grandmother having a stroke just to get to Hooters, where his girlfriend had been involved in a car accident close by.
As reported by Inside Edition, Tod Goodyear, spokesman for Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, said normally a misuse of the 911 emergency system is a misdemeanor offense. However, as Hinkle’s false 911 call had caused four hours of unnecessary searching by police, he has now been charged with a felony.
