Boy Uses Facebook To Call For Help
By Steve Murphy, NewsRadio 830 WCCO
ST. PAUL (WCCO) -- When a 15-year-old boy couldn't call 911, he instead used Facebook to report that his mother was in trouble.
"Using the telephone was not an option," said Officer John Keating of the St Paul Police Department.
The boy turned to Facebook because the man who was assaulting his mother told him not to call police. The boy quietly went on Facebook and asked, "Would somebody please call 911?"
"Certainly there are some situations when some help via a social media site -- Facebook or Twitter -- is sometimes someone's only option" said Keating.
A Facebook friend did call police. The suspect, 31-year-old Reggie Hart, now faces domestic assault charges.
Thirteen years ago, Hart was convicted in the killing of the 15-year-old boy's father.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Steve Murphy Reports
