When police officer Patrick Daughtery entered the home of Gary Rosheisen, he was surprised by what he found. Rosheisen had fallen out of his wheelchair and was on the ground near his bed; his tabby cat, Tommy, lay next to the telephone on the living room floor. According to police, a 911 call had come from the apartment.

When the dispatch department heard silence on the line, they decided to check the home. Rosheisen later said he had tried to teach Tommy to call 911 years before, but was unsure whether it worked.