Verizon Refuses to Connect Sheriff to Suicide Victim Till Phone Bill Paid

**Odd** · 05-26-09, 04:03 AM

Unconscious Carroll man found after 11-hour search - New Philadelphia, OH - The Times-Reporter

Good save. The Verizon bit is why I'm posting it though. What do you make of that?

A 62-year-old Carrollton area man was found unconscious and unresponsive Thursday morning during an intense search overnight by Carroll County sheriff deputies, an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper and the patrol’s airplane.

Two K-9 units, several fire departments and 100 individuals on foot also were involved in the search for the man, who Sheriff Dale Williams said fled his residence on Kensington Rd. after a domestic disturbance call to deputies.

The man, who was treated at the scene by emergency medical technicians, was taken to Aultman Hospital and released Thursday afternoon.

Sheriff Sgt. Ron Clapper and firefighters found the man about 1 a.m. after 11 hours of searching in an area just north of Augusta, including Manfull Orchards, where there is a Verizon cell phone tower.

Williams said he attempted to use the man’s cell phone signal to locate him, but the man was behind on his phone bill and the Verizon operator refused to connect the signal unless the sheriff’s department agreed to pay the overdue bill. After some disagreement, Williams agreed to pay $20 on the phone bill in order to find the man. But deputies discovered the man just as Williams was preparing to make arrangements for the payment.

The sheriff organized the search party for the man after deputies responded to the domestic call Wednesday at 2:21 p.m. at the Kensington Rd. residence. The sheriff said the caller said the man was destroying the house and breaking windows and other items.

But when deputies arrived they were told the man had fled and had taken several bottles of pills.

“I was more concerned for the person’s life,” Williams said. “It would have been nice if Verizon would have turned on his phone for five or 10 minutes, just long enough to try and find the guy. But they would only turn it on if we agreed to pay $20 of the unpaid bill. Ridiculous.”

Williams said he doesn’t know how close the situation was to becoming a tragedy because he’s not a doctor, but he thinks the man’s condition was very serious.

**121Traffic** · 05-26-09, 07:00 AM

Ho. Ly. Shit.

**Ducky** · 05-26-09, 07:06 AM

Originally Posted by 121Traffic

Ho. Ly. Shit.

Appropriate and succinct.

**pgg** · 05-26-09, 07:28 AM

Yet another reason to hate that Verizon guy

**Second Chance** · 05-26-09, 07:57 AM

So sad.......I keep seeing that portion in the movie Transformers, where the operator for the cell phone company is trying to sell him additional service. of course they operator is from India.................LOL

**Radar** · 05-26-09, 09:01 AM

Thankfully , I have ATT. Unfortunately, Verizon does offer better coverage area service.

**Buttercup** · 05-26-09, 09:56 AM

Unbelievable.

**mtaylor** · 05-26-09, 11:35 AM

Verizon is very lucky they found the guy, can you say lawsuit!

**Xiphos** · 05-26-09, 11:44 AM

I hate Verizon but around here they are the only game in town worth paying a cell phone bill to.

**IMachU** · 05-26-09, 12:47 PM

I have Sprint, and will NOT change. Great customer service out here. One of the best signals, and I have only had 1 dropped call in the last 6 months.

I agree....if the suicide attempt becomes successful, the family will have one helluva lawsuit.

**121Traffic** · 05-26-09, 02:46 PM

I used to have Sprint, and I loved it. Unfortunately, as far as Blackberry went, they weren't the best game in town. I like Sprint, but I liked BB more, and the future was with Verizon.

I have Verizon now and like their coverage, but I hate their customer service, hate their additional fees, and hands off approach to customers.

**Willowdared** · 05-26-09, 02:48 PM

Knowing some of the hoops we have to jump through to get subscriber info, I'm not surprised.

**MacLean** · 05-26-09, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Willowdared

Knowing some of the hoops we have to jump through to get subscriber info, I'm not surprised.

Subscriber info here is point and click on a landline, and a quick fax for the mobile.

In a no shit emergency, I was always able to get the sub info before the fax hit them.

**Morris** · 05-26-09, 05:10 PM

Regardless of the moral aspect, is a company mandated to act upon the wishes of a LE official as it relates to business? Especially without a subpoena or warrant? Yes, we can agree that allowing for LE emergencies is appropriate but abuses of the system can lead companies to be highly restrictive on allowing such "emergency contacting" and the like.

**Five-0** · 05-26-09, 07:03 PM

Originally Posted by IMachU

I have Sprint, and will NOT change. Great customer service out here. One of the best signals, and I have only had 1 dropped call in the last 6 months.

I agree....if the suicide attempt becomes successful, the family will have one helluva lawsuit.

I'm just curious as to the grounds that they will base their lawsuit on?

**MacLean** · 05-26-09, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Morris

Regardless of the moral aspect, is a company mandated to act upon the wishes of a LE official as it relates to business? Especially without a subpoena or warrant? Yes, we can agree that allowing for LE emergencies is appropriate but abuses of the system can lead companies to be highly restrictive on allowing such "emergency contacting" and the like.

I think they are, legally.

A lawful order given by a peace officer during exigent circumstances covers it.

The officer is the one who gets in trouble if he abuses it.

**10-42Adam** · 05-26-09, 11:20 PM

Pretty shitty of a multi-million dollar company to do that, no doubt about it...

**TXCharlie** · 05-26-09, 11:51 PM

I know we don't even need to have a cell phone activated in order to use 911 - 911 is supposed to work on a cell phone even if the account has been closed for years. I'm not sure if that's a Federal regulation or unique to Texas.

This is sorta "reverse-911", but I don't know if it's covered in the law... Probably not, but we also have another law about interfering with emergency communications that covers telephones. It's intended for Domestic Violence cases where the spouse rips the phone off the wall to prevent thewife from calling police, but I'd try to make it apply here and let the courts sort it out after some negative publicity.

**IMachU** · 05-27-09, 12:36 AM

Originally Posted by Five-0

I'm just curious as to the grounds that they will base their lawsuit on?

Remember, I am in Kalifornia....there needs to be no grounds for a lawsuit out here.

**Five-0** · 05-27-09, 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by IMachU

Remember, I am in Kalifornia....there needs to be no grounds for a lawsuit out here.

Exactly, isn't your state where someone was sued for pulling someone from a burning vehicle. Hell the guy might sue Verizon for causing him emotional stress due to the fact that he has to keep on living after their technology saves him.