Boy Calls 911 for Homework Help Because Nobody in His Family Was ‘Good at Math.’ A Deputy Actually Responded

Mar. 15, 2025

Shawano County Sheriff’s Deputy Chase Mason.Photo:Courtesy of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office

Courtesy of the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office

According to a statement posted on Tuesday, Nov. 19, theShawano County Sheriff’s Officesaid 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.”

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.

In an interview with ABC affiliateWBAY, Mason recalled meeting the child during his response to the 911 call.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Kim Krause, the 911 dispatcher who received the call on Friday, Nov. 15, described the boy’s request as sincere.

“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.”

source: people.com