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| Nightscape |
Mom dies as 911 operator ignores child's call for help
Apr. 8, 2006. 07:36 AM
DETROIT (AP) — A five-year-old boy called 911 to report his mother had collapsed in their Detroit apartment but an operator told him he should not be playing with the phone and the woman died before help arrived.
The family of Sherrill Turner, 46, does not know whether a swifter response could have saved her life but they want to know why the operator apparently treated the call as if it were a prank.
Police said the 911 response is under investigation.
Turner's son, Robert, placed two calls to 911 after his mother collapsed Feb. 20 on the kitchen floor. During one of the calls, an operator said: "You shouldn't be playing on the phone."
In a tape of the call, parts of which were broadcast by Detroit-area television stations, the operator said: "Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you gonna be in trouble."
In an audio of the tape played on TV, some of what the boy said is unintelligible.
Delaina Patterson, the eldest of Turner's 10 children, said police did not arrive until three hours later. She said only Robert and his mother were home at the time.
Detroit police spokesman James Tate said it was at least an hour before authorities arrived but he said he did not have details. By that time, the boy's mother had died, he said.
"The operator may have believed he was playing on the phone," Tate said.
The 911 operator remains on the job amid the investigation, Tate said.
Robert, who turned six last month, is living with relatives in the Detroit area, Patterson said. :( |
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| chinamon |
ignorance
stupidity
meh |
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| nusty |
that's so horrible. My heart sank as I read this.
You would think that having half a brain should be a requirement for working in emergency services. I've heard of a few other similar cases across the US in the last few year. These people should be charged with criminal negligence resulting in death.
would it really be that hard to just send someone over to make sure? |
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| alefort |
I truly wish this had not happened, but the lack of respect for safety systems that kids display nowadays are directly related to people, much like this operator, disregarding valid calls. Parents and educators need to make more of an effort to instill the true importance of such a system, I wonder how many crank calls the 911 systems in a busy city receive daily?
I am by no means trying to justify what the operator did, but people need to realize we are all at fault when it comes to matters like this. |
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| le poulet |
| Wow! That is awful! :( |
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| cyper |
| quote: | Originally posted by nusty
These people should be charged with criminal negligence resulting in death.
would it really be that hard to just send someone over to make sure? |
I dont think the operator should be blamed for this.
It was a 5 year old calling who could barely speak english. If you where a 911 operator.. your natural assumption would be that it was a prank phone call.
We also dont know what the mothers condition was or what time she died (maybe it was right when she collapsed??)
Yes, the operator did make a mistake in assuming the phone call was a prank call. But he did not commit a criminal act, and should not be charged as a criminal.
As for sending someone over.. well i'll agree with you there. Im sure he could have done that. |
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| nusty |
| quote: | Originally posted by cyper
I dont think the operator should be blamed for this.
It was a 5 year old calling who could barely speak english. If you where a 911 operator.. your natural assumption would be that it was a prank phone call.
We also dont know what the mothers condition was or what time she died (maybe it was right when she collapsed??)
Yes, the operator did make a mistake in assuming the phone call was a prank call. But he did not commit a criminal act, and should not be charged as a criminal.
As for sending someone over.. well i'll agree with you there. Im sure he could have done that. |
If you are a 911 operator you have a DUTY to treat every call as potentially life threatening if not acted on.
If the time of death is found to be well after the original call was made and it would have been enough time to get medical help on site had something been done then I feel that the operator should be charged, at the very least a criminal investigation should be launched in conjunction with the autopsy and the operator should be reprimanded (at the least down graded to janitor status at the call center even if found that their decision had no impact on the mothers life, the operator screwed up huge and should not be permitted to screw up like this again).
I n first aid the rule of thumb is if the person hits the floor it is an automatic call for emergency help. The operator should have followed protocal and realized someone had gone uncounsious and sent help to investigate further. If it is a prank, then deal with it, send the bill to the parents. I would hate to think that if I collapsed and the only person around was a 5 year kid to call 911 that my life could be over because no one else would come. Kids can understand serious issues and usually react to the best of their abilities when they have to. It's far better to trust them individually until you have reason not. If the phone number listed had a history of prank calls on record then thats a different story, but every call should be taken seriously otherwise. |
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| lopi |
| thats soo ty that stuff like this happens...:(:(:( |
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| ghetto_fab |
| Its unbelievable that someone would not belive a child. Not many 5 year olds I i know would play pranks calling 911. I think theres a certain age where one should be taken seriously. I would expect it from 10-15 year olds to do the pranks but c'mon a kid thats 5 and said that about his mother. I would send someone over just incase. either or if the kid was joking he would get trouble or if as in this case wasn't lying she could have been saved. the operators a retard. |
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| geroin |
you guys are not taking in consideration the actual prank calls
i would assume that there are more prank calls to 911 than the actual real cases
for them sending people over if they are unsure of what is happening is useless while someone else needs that cop elsewhere
i'm almost 100% sure that if the child said something about his mother laying there the cops would be there in minutes. Being 6 years old and not being able to explain the situtation means there is something wrong with the kid. This is basic stuff and every kids needs to know what to say |
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| nusty |
| quote: | Originally posted by geroin
you guys are not taking in consideration the actual prank calls
i would assume that there are more prank calls to 911 than the actual real cases
for them sending people over if they are unsure of what is happening is useless while someone else needs that cop elsewhere
i'm almost 100% sure that if the child said something about his mother laying there the cops would be there in minutes. Being 6 years old and not being able to explain the situtation means there is something wrong with the kid. This is basic stuff and every kids needs to know what to say |
English as a Second Language? |
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