A Central Florida boy called 911 on Wednesday, not because of an emergency but because he wanted to give an officer a hug, video shows.
Hillsborough County Deputy Scott Pracht responded to the call from a Riverview residence. He encountered the boy’s mother out front and asked, “Is everything okay?” according to bodycam and doorbell footage released by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO). The mother called her son out of the house to ascertain whether he’d called 911.
“To be honest, he doesn’t even know what 911 is,” she said, per the video. The boy skipped out to meet his mother and Pracht.
“Did you call this gentleman? Did you call the police?” the mother asked.
“Well, I wanted to give him a hug,” the boy replied, handing his phone to his mother.
The boy ran to Pracht and they hugged, as the boy’s mother checked the phone and realized the boy did place the call via the disconnected phone at 12:41 p.m.
“And I know what your phone number is: 9-1-1,” the boy said to Pracht. (RELATED: 10-Year-Old Girl Named Miracle Helps Mom Deliver Her Baby Sister)
“Yeah, but you know what that’s for? It’s if you’re in trouble and you need help, or if somebody you know is around you and that’s in trouble and needs help. It’s very important, you’ve got to be careful when you call that number, okay?” Pracht replied.
“Only in emergencies, and if you’re hurt, or someone else is hurt, your mom needs help, someone’s doing something they’re not supposed to do, yougive us a call, okay?” he added.
“Okay,” the boy said. He then apologized and Pracht fist-bumped him.
“We deeply appreciate the genuine kindness shown by this young child. Our deputies are more than willing to share a hug and spread love to children in our community. However, it’s essential for everyone to remember that 911 is a lifeline for emergencies,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement released by the HCSO.
HCSO deputies offered to hug residents at the Nov. 29 annual HCSO Christmas Tree Lighting, the statement noted.