Shawano County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Mason. Photo:
Courtesy of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office
- The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin was notified of a 911 call made by a 10-year-old boy who was having math trouble
- Deputy Chase Mason responded to the call and together they were able to solve a “decimal related math problem”
- “I am very proud to have officers like this in our office that will go above and beyond their duties,” Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner tells PEOPLE in a statement
A 10-year-old boy in Wisconsin sought help for his math homework in a very unusual way — by calling 911.
According to a statement posted on Tuesday, Nov. 19, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office said they got a 911 call from a boy asking for assistance with his class assignment last week.
“He stated his family ‘wasn’t very good at math either’ and he needed help,” they added.
According to the department, the responding officer, Deputy Chase Mason, wrote in his report that he wasn’t “overly proficient when it comes to math” either but “”nonetheless, I responded to assist.”
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Fortunately, police said that Mason and the child were ultimately able to solve a “decimal related math problem.”
They added that afterwards, the deputy gave a business card to the child, encouraging him to call if he ever needed help — but added that “next time he should probably use the non-emergency line if it’s not a life-threatening situation.”
Still, the sheriff’s office said the incident provided a great teaching moment.
“Thank you, Deputy Mason, for taking time out of your day to be a friend to this young man!” they wrote.
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In an interview with ABC affiliate WBAY, Mason recalled meeting the child during his response to the 911 call.
“He came right to the door to meet me, then I walked into the house and sat down by the kitchen table,” Mason told WBAY. “He had his math out all ready for me. He pointed out exactly which ones he needed help with.”
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Kim Krause, the 911 dispatcher who received the call on Friday, Nov. 15, described the boy’s request as sincere.
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“He said ‘Ma‘am, I know I’m not supposed to be calling 911 for this, but I really could use some help with my homework,’ ” Krause told the outlet, “I asked, ‘Well what can I help you with?’ and he said it’s math and I’m like ‘uhh.’ I’ve been out of school for 40 years so I’m like, ’I don’t know if I can help you with this, but we’ll find somebody.’ ”
In a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday, Nov. 21, Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner praised his deputy, adding that Mason oversees the department’s cadet program for young adults between the ages of 14 and 20 who are interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement.
“Chase is a great officer,” Lenzner wrote. “I am very proud to have officers like this in our office that will go above and beyond their duties. When we look for new officers we look for officers that will communicate well with the public. We like to do a lot of community activities within our County and have a very good relationship with our citizens of Shawano County.”
