A Florida man who called 911 ended up shooting a home intruder himself after the 911 dispatcher accidentally transferred him to voicemail.
The Port Richey resident, whose name has not been released, said that four suspects broke into his home in the middle of the night last week, Fox 13 reports.
"I woke up to them beating me," he told WTSP.
The intruders, who allegedly stole money and prescription drugs, left and the homeowner called 911 for help. His call went through to the fire department, and when the dispatcher tried to connect him to law enforcement, the caller was mistakenly transferred to a recorded voicemail message saying, "If this is an emergency, hang up and call 911."
Around that time, the suspects returned to the home. By the time he was reconnected to a dispatcher, the caller said he'd shot someone.
When the dispatcher asks what's going on, the caller can be heard saying, "Somebody just came into my house. Four people just came into my house, they beat the s--t out of me and my wife and stepmother, and they robbed us."
Three of the four suspects -- Joseph Rich, Michael Reverdes, and Steven Reverdes -- were ultimately caught and are now in police custody, according to WTSP. Deputies say Steven Reverdes was shot in the back by the homeowner, but the homeowner isn't expected to face charges.
"I'm at a loss for words, had to protect my family," the man told WTSP.
Pasco County officials say that the transfer issues didn't slow their response time, according to Fox 13.
The same week, a 911 dispatcher in Ohio came under fire for telling a rape victim to "quit crying."
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