A child called 911 asking for a hug. He got one — but also a lesson on when not to call the cops.

• A child in Florida called 911 to request a hug from a deputy.
• A deputy responded to the call and gave the much-desired hug, a video shows.

A child in Florida called 911 to ask a police officer for a hug.

Footage shared by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office captured the moment a deputy arrived at the home in Riverview last Wednesday in response to the call.

In the video, a combination of bodycam and Ring doorbell footage, Deputy Scott Pracht can be seen checking in on the child, before giving him a hug and explaining why the number is for emergency use only.

"Everything okay? We had a 911 call come through," Pracht said in the footage, as he approached the house just after 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

The child's mother, who has not been identified by name, summons her son to see if he was responsible for the call, which the deputy explained was dialed from a disconnected cellphone.

"To be honest, he doesn't even know what 911 is," the mother says in the video.

Pracht reassures her, saying: "I'll explain it to him, it's not a problem."

The video then shows the young boy coming to the front door, where his mother asks him: "Did you call this gentleman? Did you call the police?"

The boy replies that he called the number because he wanted to give the deputy a hug.

The mother then checks the phone's call log, which confirms a 911 call at 12:41 p.m. The boy is seen going over to Pracht for the much-desired hug, which the deputy reciprocates.

"I know what your phone number, 1… it's 911," the boy remarks in the video.

Pracht replies: "Yep, but do you know what that's for? It's if you're in trouble and need help, or if someone you know is around you and that's in trouble needs help."

He adds: "It's very important, you gotta be careful when you call that number, okay? Only in emergencies."

The video shows the boy apologizing before the deputy fist-bumps him and tells him not to worry about it.

In a press statement, Sheriff Chad Chronister said deputies appreciated the kindness shown by the child, adding that they are "more than willing" to hug and "spread the love" to children in the community.

However, Chronister said that 911 is a "lifeline for emergencies" and parents and educators were encouraged to "teach children about the appropriate use of emergency services."