Man Calls 911 Four Times Over Clam Chowder, Gets Arrested: Police

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A 70-year-old Middletown man was arrested after police say he called 911 four times within 37 minutes to complain that someone threw his clam chowder into the dumpster. He was additionally charged when he called 911 one more time to complain that he was issued a summons for misusing the 911 system, according to police.

Sok Kyu Yi, 70, of Main Street, was first issued a misdemeanor summons for misusing the 911 system on Feb. 26 after police say he called 911 twice at 3:01 p.m. and also at 3:11 p.m. and 3:38 p.m., according to the police report. Police said that at no time did Yi report any type of medical incident or emergency that would require him to call 911. Furthermore, dispatchers reported that Yi was “angrily yelling and screaming at them and that someone had thrown his clam chowder into the dumpster,” police wrote in the report.

Police followed up with Yi and asked if he was in need of any type of medical or police assistance since he called 911 several times. He told police he wasn’t in need of any assistance and “complained that his food had been thrown out,” according to the report. Police said that Yi smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated.

Yi admitted to police that there was no emergency at his residence but said he needed to call 9111 because he didn’t have another number to call police, according to the report. He was issued the misdemeanor summons and released on a promise to appear in court.

Yi then called 911 again at 4:18 p.m. and “angrily complained to the dispatcher that he just received a summons from the police for misusing the 911 system,” according to the report.

When police arrived at Yi’s apartment he was lying in his bed intoxicated with alcoholic beverages and said that he wasn’t in need of immediate assistance, the report states. Yi then began to “angrily complain” about being issued a summons for misusing the 911 system, police said. Police then reminded Yi that he had just been given a number to call for non-emergencies and told him that he was being arrested. Yi is accused of struggling with police while being taken into custody.

Yi was charged with misuse of 911 system and interfering with police. He was released on a promise to appear in court on March 12.

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