Denton police responded to help a city bus driver deal with an irate passenger Tuesday morning and eventually took the rider to jail.

The man was waiting for the bus at a stop in the 3200 block of Teasley Lane. As soon as he climbed on, he began castigating the driver for being an hour late, police reported. The driver tried to explain that he was on time and that it was the first stop of the day at that bus stop. The man refused to listen and began yelling obscenities, cursing the driver and calling him obscene names. He refused to get off the bus.

The driver called for help. An officer talked to the irate rider, explaining that he could not use that kind of language in a public place because other riders were offended. The man yelled that he had a constitutional right to free speech and could say anything he wanted to.

The officer told the man that if he did not stop yelling and exit the bus he would have to arrest him. The man refused, insisting that his speech was protected by a Supreme Court ruling. The officer took him to jail.

Other reports

700 block of January Lane, Ponder area — A woman told Denton County sheriff’s deputies Tuesday that she was defrauded by a mortgage foreclosure counselor.

The woman said she contacted a mortgage foreclosure counseling company and was assigned a counselor, who told her to send her checks to him and he would make her payments. She sent four $400 checks, but the bank that holds the mortgage notified her that no payment has been received.

When she called the foreclosure counseling company, she was told that the counselor who was assigned to her was fired because he was embezzling money.

Roundup

From 7 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday:

• Denton police handled 264 service and officer-initiated calls, including three frauds, three assaults, one forgery, six thefts, two reports of harassment, one disturbance, one indecent exposure, one deceased person, one criminal mischief, one case of possession of drug paraphernalia, one kidnapping and one aggravated assault.

• Denton County sheriff’s dispatchers handled 222 service and officer-initiated calls for the agencies they serve. Thirty-two people were booked into county jail. Deputies took reports of one suicide attempt, two assaults, one injury to a child, two thefts and one forgery.

• Denton firefighters responded to 23 medical calls, one request to assist an invalid, one smoke investigation, one downed power line and one traffic accident.

Lake Cities firefighters responded to one request to assist a citizen, one traffic accident, one request to unlock a vehicle, three medical calls, two alarms and one deceased person.

Pilot Point firefighters responded to two medical calls and one request to unlock a vehicle.

Krum firefighters responded to one traffic accident and one alarm.

Aubrey firefighters responded to three requests to unlock a vehicle, two medical calls, one request for mutual aid and one fire.

Sanger firefighters responded to one medical call.

Double Oak firefighters responded to one structure fire.

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is dfielder@dentonrc.com .

Denton County Crime Stoppers will pay a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in these or other crimes. Callers will remain anonymous. Call 1-800-388-TIPS (8477).