Sault police charge same man for third time in 911 misuse case

An individual is shown dialling 911 on a smartphone screen. (File photo/releon8211/iStock)

A 20-year-old man in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged for the third time in less than a month after police say he made repeated non-emergency calls to 911 while under court-ordered conditions prohibiting the behaviour.

The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service said Monday that officers again took the accused into custody on March 20, following his release on March 19.

“Beginning around 6:30 a.m., 911 communicators received approximately 33 hang-up calls from the accused’s phone despite the accused being subject to conditions prohibiting non-emergency calls to 911,” police said in a news release.

Police located the man around 8:40 a.m. and took him into custody.

As a result of the latest incident, he was charged with harassing communications and mischief for interfering with the lawful use, enjoyment, or operation of property.

The man is also charged with failing to comply with a release order related to a previous set of 911 hang-up incidents.

The accused was held pending a bail hearing.

Involved in more than 260 hang-up calls to 911

The charges follow two earlier incidents involving the same man.

On March 13, police charged him after he allegedly made 122 calls to 911 between March 8 and 10. None were actual emergencies, police said at the time.

Days later, police said the man was involved alongside an 18-year-old woman in a second round of misuse.

“Between March 16 and 19, 2026, 911 communicators received approximately 108 hang-up calls from a phone shared by the two accused, despite both being subject to conditions prohibiting non-emergency calls to 911,” police said in a March 20 release.

In that incident, both were charged with harassing communications and mischief and released on appearance notices with a court date set for June 8.