MURDOCK, FL. - Sheriff's deputies arrested a Port Charlotte man when he continued to call 911 because he couldn't bring a kitten into a gentleman's club. 

Charlotte County Deputies were called shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday to the Emerald City in Murdock after the owner told 47-year-old Everett Robert Lages to leave. Lages had attempted to bring a kitten into the club, and instead of leaving, he sat down outside the business and called 911.

When the deputies spoke with Lages, they noted that he appeared intoxicated. They told him he needed to leave the premises and assisted in calling a taxi for him. However, when the taxi arrived, Lages would not cooperate with the driver.

Lages insisted that the club owner had committed a crime and continued to call 911 on his cell phone, even though the deputies were on the scene. Deputies told Lages to stop calling 911, because it was a crime. Lages refused to hang up the phone and refused to exit the taxi.

Lages was placed under arrest and had to be forcibly restrained. He was booked into the jail on charges of Misuse of the 911 System, Disorderly Intoxication, Trespassing after Warning and Resisting Arrest without Violence. He is being held on $4,000 bond.

Animal Control was called to take the kitten, which is safe and sound.

Charlotte County's E911 Administrator Laurene Anderson pointed out that when someone continues to call 911 when there is no real emergency they are potentially tying up resources that could prevent someone with a real emergency from getting the help they need. It was for that reason the law was put in place. She also pointed out that the Enhanced 911 system gives emergency operators the ability to track calls back to their source and location. (Source)