The Emory Healthcare call center received more than 110,000 harassing phone calls over a 13-month period begining July 2016./Parth Mody, Photo Editor
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
A man who allegedly made harassing phone calls to Emory Healthcare employees has been arrested and charged with four felony counts.
Jarvis L. Williams, 35, was arrested Aug. 24 in Oceanside, Calif., and charged with four felony counts of making a criminal threat after allegedly placing more than 110,000 harassing phone calls to Emory Healthcare employees over 13 months.
The calls began July 2016 and included “threatening, harassing, disparaging statements, including threats to shoot the staff … [and] mentioned several other mass shooters,” Sgt. John Harper of the Emory Police Department (EPD) wrote in an Aug. 28 email to the Wheel. Williams’ threats reached 27 Emory employees at the call center.
Williams also made threatening calls to other locations around the United States, including Louisiana, Oceanside, Florida State University and El Cajon, Calif. EPD is still working closely with Oceanside Police Department and the District Attorney’s office, Harper said Sept. 5.
San Diego County District Attorney will prosecute the case on behalf of Emory.
Williams was arraigned Aug. 28 and pleaded not guilty. His bail is set at $1 million. William’s attorney, public defender Matthew Wechter, declined to comment on the case due to client confidentiality.
The defendant will appear in court Sept. 6 for a status hearing and Sept. 11 for a preliminary hearing.
The Emory Healthcare call center received the first threatening and harassing call July 14, 2016, and reported the call to EPD. EPD responded and assigned an investigator. The call center has not received any threatening calls since Williams’ arrest, according to Harper.
EPD believes that all calls were made by the same individual due to their similar content and nature, Harper told the Wheel in a phone call.
EPD contacted and began work with the Oceanside Police Department once they believed the individual was residing there.
“Emory Healthcare leadership is grateful to the Emory Police Department and out-of-state officials for their thorough investigation that led to the apprehension of a suspect who has been charged with felony counts of criminal threats to the Emory Healthcare Call Center,” Director of Media Relations for Emory Healthcare Janet Christenbury wrote in a Sept. 6 statement to the Wheel. “Emory Healthcare has been supporting the call center staff during this difficult time.”
UPDATE (9/7/17 at 4:27 p.m.): This article has been updated to reflect Emory Healthcare’s statement.
Richard Chess contributed reporting.
