911 operator faces criminal charges after admitting she hangs up on callers

Williams was accused of hanging up on a caller who was reporting a robbery at a convenience store. Photo / KPRC

A former 911 operator is facing criminal charges after admitting that she hung up on callers when she didn't feel like talking.

Crenshanda Williams, 43, is facing a misdemeanor charge of interference with an emergency phone call.

Managers at the Houston Emergency Center where Williams worked found that she had been involved with thousands of 'short calls' - defined as lasting 20 seconds or less - between October 2015 and March, Click2Houston reports.

And in one case, Williams was accused of hanging up on a caller who was reporting a robbery at a convenience store in which the owner was shot and killed.

Engineer Hua Li called 911 to report an armed robbery at the RaceWay convenience store on FM 1960 Rd at Mills Road in Houston on March 12.

Li called again and got a different operator but by the time police responded, the store's owner - 51-year-old Zia Arfeen Seddiqui - was dead.Li said he was buying lottery tickets when a gunman entered and tried to break down the glassed-in secure area behind the counter.

In another incident on March 13, a security guard called to report two motorists driving recklessly as they raced each other at high speed on 1-45 South.

Williams was the operator, according to police - and she allegedly terminated the call before the guard could give his full name.

Police said they questioned Williams about these incidents in June.

She told them she "often hangs up on calls that have not been connected because she did not want to talk to anyone at that time," according to Click2Houston.

Williams is set to appear in court next week.