A woman was arrested for calling 911 about her lack of cell phone access, despite being warned that doing so was abuse of the system. Seloni Khetarpal was arrested after calling the dispatch center demanding a police presence to settle a dispute she was having with her parents over her cell phone service.

In call transcripts, Khetarpal explains that she lives with her parents, and that she needs her phone for both work and school. She felt like not having cell phone access warranted police intervention, despite the 911 call-taker’s insistence to the contrary.

Local records indicate that 36-year-old Khetarpal is certified as a licensed realtor, but fails to explain why she is unable to afford her own cell phone plan. According to court documents, Khetarpal was characterized during her call as belligerent, and officers charged her with a fourth-degree felony: disrupting public services.

Possible Preaching Angle:

We must both teach ourselves and teach our children to carefully discern wrong from right so that we can serve our communities well. Without that discernment, even our attempts to do good can result in great harm.