‘Unacceptable’: Tacoma man dies after fireworks calls clog 911 response efforts

It was a busy and stressful time for emergency response agencies throughout Puget Sound over July 4th.

Tacoma Police say they were so bogged down with 911 calls - whether it was other emergencies or people making firework complaints - by the time they responded to a shooting in McKinley Hill neighborhood, the victim who was a 27-year-old man, was taken to a nearby hospital. Family and friends confirm with KIRO 7 he died on the way to the hospital.

Tacoma Detective William Muse says they were worried calls could get bad during the holiday.

“In weeks prior to the 4th of July, we have asked people to not call 911 to report fireworks, but that is exactly what happened,” Detective Muse said.

But Tacoma Police weren’t the only ones overwhelmed. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says they had four times the amount of calls they would normally respond to.

“An average day, a busy day, we have 40 calls on the screen for our patrol district, central patrol district. Having 160? Four times that? It’s ridiculous,” Sgt. Darren Moss Jr. said.

The amount of 911 calls for non-emergencies is a big concern for all first responders in the area. South Sound 911 explains why it comes naturally for people to call 911 for any sort of response.

“I think it’s because that’s what we’ve all been trained for the last 30 or 40 years,” Jessica Kulass with South Sound 911 said.

Because of what happened over the holiday, emergency agencies are imploring the public to only call 911 for real emergencies like shootings, assaults, overdoses, or medical emergencies. For issues that are not immediate, they urge you to call 253-287-4455.

“We have this ten-digit non-emergency number for less critical types of situations that you can use,” Kulass said.

“When we get lots and lots of little minuscule complaints, that’s unacceptable we can’t have that,” Sgt. Moss Jr. said.

If you have any information, you are urged to give Tacoma PD or CrimeStoppers a call.

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