Hearing set for man accused of making false emergency calls

A Palmer man with a history of placing false 911 calls will go back to court this week on felony reckless endangerment charges.

Amon E. Kelly, 31, faces new charges stemming from a Sept. 18 argument with a Wasilla woman who said he threatened her with a knife. He allegedly threatened to shoot Alaska State Troopers who came to investigate the incident.

According to charging documents, Kelly became intoxicated and threatened to cut the woman's throat with a knife. Troopers said they contacted Kelly walking unsteadily on the road a short distance from the woman's house. He reportedly pulled his knife out of a holster and told troopers he was going to shoot them.

That alleged threat and third-degree assault charges landed Kelly in Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility in Palmer.

In the past five years, troopers responded to several incidents involving Kelly, mainly false 911 calls.

In a Jan. 12, 1997 case, he called from Houston to report gunshots outside the Houston Lodge. Shortly after that, he called 911 and made suicide threats. A third time on the same evening, he called to ask for emergency medical help.

Frustrated law enforcement officers, who made three separate responses in icy road conditions, found Kelly unharmed and inebriated, documents stated. Witnesses at the Houston Lodge said no gunshots had been fired, and no other emergency incidents had occurred that evening.

"The three responses to 911 calls caused a substantial risk of serious physical injury to responding troopers due to the existing road, weather and wildlife conditions and the type of emergency vehicle response that was given to the nature of the 911 calls," one officer wrote in his report.

A year before that, Kelly lived at Palmer Arms and reportedly called to report someone named Travis had stabbed him. Troopers found him lying on the floor, intoxicated. They transported him to Valley Hospital where it was found he had "superficial scratches" on his stomach.

In an Aug. 16, 2000 case, Kelly reportedly called 911 to report that 40 video tapes and a .44-caliber Magnum pistol had been stolen from his residence. He said the tapes belonged to Harry Becker. Again, police found Kelly intoxicated. After Becker told police he didn't have 40 video tapes and Kelly didn't own a .44-caliber Magnum, false reporting charges were again filed against Kelly.

Those three cases resulted in jail time and a court order to attend a six-month alcohol rehabilitation center. One of his probation conditions was that he avoid consuming alcohol.

The September arrest on third-degree assault charges will be taken up Friday in a hearing.