Drunk, pantless and seemingly incontinent man arrested after calling 911 for detox help

Police say they arrested a man from Maryville, Tennessee, who was found drunk and pantless after calling 911 in an attempt to get “detoxed.” James Robert Lambert, 51, was arrested on a charge of abusing the 911 system. He was also served with a warrant for violation of probation granted after a misdemeanor conviction.

Alcoa Police officers were dispatched at 8:04am on Thursday after Lambert called 911 asking for police to respond so he could get “detoxed,” according to the Alcoa Police report. Officers knew Lambert had called 911 three previous times since last Sunday without there being any actual emergency. Lambert had also called 911 to report a robbery that officers learned, following an investigation, did not actually happen.



When officers arrived at Lambert’s room, he was nude from the waist down and had urinated on the bed, the report said. Officers said there were at least 50 empty beer cans scattered around the room. Lambert put on a pair of shorts which were soaked in urine, then put on another pair of shorts which had been hanging over an air conditioning unit, and which were also soaked with urine. When officers asked why he called, Lambert could not remember, the report said.

After some time had passed, Lambert said he called because he needed to “detox.” Afraid Lambert would continue calling 911 without any need of law enforcement or emergency response, police arrested Lambert. He is being held without bond pending a May 14 hearing in Blount County Circuit Court on the violation of probation charge and in lieu of $1,000 bond pending a May 15 hearing on the 911 abuse charge.