Houston 911 dispatcher charged for hanging up on calls because she didn't feel like talking

Photo: Police Crenshanda Williams, 43, of Houston, is facing two misdemeanor...

When Hua Li called 911 to report a robbery, the woman on the other end of the phone answered with a sigh - and then hung up.

Now, 911 operator Crenshanda Williams, 43, of Houston, is facing two misdemeanor charges for allegedly hanging up on concerned callers just because she didn't feel like talking.

Williams ended up in hot water after supervisors at the Houston Emergency Center - which provides 911 services - noticed she had an "abnormally large" number of short calls. All calls under 20 seconds trigger a supervisory review, and Williams had thousands.

There were two, in particular, that were troubling. (Story continues below)

RELATED GALLERY: The most dangerous cities and suburbs in the Houston area

The most dangerous and safest cities in the Houston area

Hempstead

Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1,714

Property crime incidents: 239 Violent crime incidents: 119



Source: FBI

The most dangerous and safest cities in the Houston area

Hempstead

Violent crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 1,714

Property crime incidents: 239 Violent crime incidents: 119



Source: FBI Hempstead Photo: Julio Cortez, Houston Chronicle Photo: Julio Cortez, Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Houston 911 dispatcher charged for hanging up on calls because she didn't feel like talking 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

One was Li's call on March 12.

That day, Li strolled into a store looking to buy a lottery ticket but fled when he saw a man with a gun and heard a series of shots.

He tried calling 911 - but the 911 operator hung up on him.

So he tried again.

"Houston 911, do you need medical, police or fire?" Williams asked.

"This is a robbery," he said.

Williams sighed, and hung up.

When Li tried back a third time, someone else answered and he was finally able to report his emergency and identify himself.

The following day, a security officer called in to report two drivers racing in an area where people had been killed speeding just weeks earlier.

As he started to report the problem, Williams cut him off.

"Ain't nobody got time for this. For real," she muttered, just after hanging up.

When Houston police interviewed Williams about the calls, she admitted to answering the calls in question and said she often hangs up "because she did not want to talk to anyone at that time," according to court documents.

Now she's facing two misdemeanor charges of interference with emergency telephone calls.