Pocatello Police receive 500 calls about man in wheelchair with blanket over his head
Published at
POCATELLO — If you see a man in a wheelchair with a blanket over his head, police say there’s no need to worry.
Gary Kerness, who has been spotted at several busy Pocatello intersections over the past few days, has refused help, according to the Pocatello Police Department.
Since Saturday, dispatchers have received around 500 calls about Kerness. He’s known to officers and both police and EMS check on him frequently.
“He has made it very clear that he does not want any assistance and he has a cell phone,” Pocatello police spokeswoman Dianne Brush said.
This isn’t the first time Kerness has spent days on Pocatello streets. In March, he spoke with the Idaho State Journal and refused help from police and passerby’s before agreeing to go to the hospital.
Kerness is a diabetic, has muscular dystrophy and can’t get around without his motorized wheelchair, according to the Idaho State Journal.