Mix-up has rapper Lil Uzi's fans calling 911 dispatchers

Friday, January 13, 2017
BARABOO, WI (KTRK) -- A social media post has a rapper's fans mistakenly calling police in Wisconsin by the hundreds.

The Baraboo Police Department said they are still getting dozens of calls for Lil Uzi. There's just one problem.

Lil Uzi is "not a representative of the Baraboo Police Department yet," Captain Rob Sinden said. "But, he appears to have a lot of talent."

The trouble began on Jan. 10, when a social media post prompted people to call Lil Uzi at a specific telephone number.

On the other line were a few people looking to receive calls in the Baraboo Police dispatch center.

A flood of calls came in, reaching up to 200 non-emergency phone calls an hour after the posts went up on Facebook and Snapchat.

While the phone calls are slowing down now, Cpt. Sinden said they aren't completely over.

"There's very few people in the dispatch center, so if they're all busy taking calls for Lil Uzi, they can't help the true emergencies that happen out there," he said.
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