Operator ignores calls for help, woman dies.

[buttmunch]

April 9, 2006 — Attorneys for the family of Sherrill Turner plan a news conference Monday to discuss a wrongful death suit in a case involving her son's 911 calls to which Detroit police did not respond.

Turner, 46, died from complications of an enlarged heart on Feb. 20. Her son Robert Turner, then five, made two calls to 911 after his mother collapsed in their Detroit apartment. Transcripts suggest indicate operators may not have believed the calls were a legitimate emergency.


911 Operator: 'You're Going to Be In Trouble'

In a recording of the first call, the son is heard saying, "My mom is passed out." The operator responds, "Where's Mister Turner at?" Robert Turner explains that his mother is unable to talk. The operator then says "Okay, well, I'm going to send the police over to your house to find out what's going on," and then hangs up.

But neither the police nor medical personnel ever arrived, according to family members.

Three hours later, the boy called again.

"It was taking too long," he told a local reporter in Detroit. "And she said the same thing."

In the second call, the operator asks to speak to his mother, "before I send the police over there." She then tells the son, "You shouldn't be playing on the phone. Now put her on the phone before I send the police over there to knock on the door, and you're going to be in trouble."

Again, neither police nor medical personnel responded.


Other 911 Complaints

The Detroit incident follows years of high profile cases in other cities where calls to 911 have not produced help for people in real trouble.

For example, in 1994 in Philadelphia, at least 20 people called 911 to report the beating of a 16-year-old boy who later died. Seven operators were either disciplined or fired.

In 2000 in New York, three 911 operators were disciplined over their response to pleas from numerous women complaining about being assaulted by gangs of youths during a Puerto Rico Day parade.

And just last week in Anderson, S.C., sheriff's deputies initially ignored calls from a stabbing victim.

abcnews.com

[deckchick]

Jesus H Christ...

I thought 911 responded to all the calls, especially ones involving children. This bitch needs to be charged with negligent manslaughter or something.

If 911 operators are so lazy and/or jaded from their job, they need to be fired.

[LynnieD]

Wow.....that poor kid. He was doing the right thing!! And got dissed by a 911 operator! And his mom died!

[buttmunch]

String the bitch up and when she calls for help, ignore her.