Seasonal & Holidays

Florida Boy Calls 911 to Invite Deputies to Thanksgiving Dinner

The little boy's holiday invitation 'melted all the hearts' at the Walton County Sheriff's Office.

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, FL — A 5-year-old DeFuniak Springs boy’s Thanksgiving invitation was so sweet deputies at the Walton County Sheriff’s Office just couldn’t bring themselves to turn it down.

It seems Billy Nolin decided his family had more food on the table than they could possibly eat and he wanted to share it. With that in mind, Billy picked up a cellphone and proceeded to call 911 to invite all the staff and deputies at the sheriff’s office to join his family for their Thanksgiving Day feast.

The call reportedly alarmed Billy’s mother and grandfather when they learned who he was speaking to on the other end of the line. While Billy did get a stern talking to from his grandfather for placing a non-emergency call to 911, the sheriff's office was happy to overlook the child's error.

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Billy’s invitation “melted all the hearts” in the sheriff’s office communication center, the agency said on Facebook. It also tugged on the heart strings of two deputies, Damon Byrd and Aaron Ethridge, who paid the boy a personal visit.

“With all the bad calls we take on a daily basis this one was a welcomed happy call that made all of us smile,” Monica Webster, the agency’s lead communication officer, said.

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It's unclear if Deputies Byrd and Ethridge joined in the feast, but they did take some time out to let Billy check out their cruiser. They also made sure he had his own sheriff's office badge before they left.

“While we do not encourage this use of 911, we are so honored at the invitation,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Thank you Billy for making all of our days here at WCSO.”

Photos via the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page

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