A 10-year-old in Shawano County, Wisconsin, recently dialed 911 not for an emergency, but for help with a math homework problem involving decimals.
Dispatcher Kim Krause explained the emergency line was not meant for such requests but, recognizing an opportunity to assist, asked Deputy Sheriff Chase Mason to check in on the child, ABC News reported.
"Personally, I am also not overly proficient when it comes to math, but nonetheless, I responded to assist," Mason said in a statement.
Mason, who has a stepson of a similar age, visited the home and worked through the problem with the young student. Despite the deputy's lack of mathematical expertise, the two solved the issue together.
The Shawano County Sheriff's Office later posted about the incident on Facebook, using it as a teaching moment to encourage kids to use the non-emergency line for non-critical requests.
Sheriff George Lenzner praised the deputy for his actions. "Cops are there to help people, especially the youth. I don't want our youth to ever be afraid of law enforcement," he told ABC News.
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