Apparent 'Butt Dial' to Oregon Police Leads to Drug Bust
A "butt dial" - an accidental call made without the caller's knowledge - can result in an overheard conversation and maybe some awkwardness if the wrong thing gets said. But in a recent Oregon case, the call was beyond awkward: It may have been incriminating.
Raleigh Reynolds, 25, was arrested on felony drug charges Monday after an apparent "butt dial" to the Molalla Police Department during what the dispatcher believed was a drug deal.
ABC News
"There have been a lot of laughs about it," Molalla Sgt. Chris Long told ABCNews.com. "Our job isn't usually that easy."
The emergency dispatcher tracked the phone's GPS signal to an alley next to a local bar, which was located 100 yards from the police department, Long said.
Long added that there were two people on foot nearby, both of whom denied having a working cell phone. The on-scene officer spoke loudly so that the dispatcher could confirm she could hear him through the cell phone.
"In the 13 years I've been doing this, I have never had anyone butt dial a drug deal," Long said. "We have had a lot of people butt dial, which is serious because it can tie up the 9-1-1 system."
Inside a nearby vehicle believed to belong to Reynolds, the officer found some methamphetamine and a small amount of marijuana, police said. The woman who was with Reynolds had the cell phone in her purse, police said.
Reynolds was jailed on multiple drug charges, released on bail, and is currently awaiting a court appearance. Attempts to reach Reynolds were unsuccessful and police did not know whether or not he had an attorney.
The woman with Reynolds was cited with a violation for less than an ounce of marijuana.