Detroit Screws Up Again, Kills Another Person

[Dustdevil]

From: http://www.clickondetroit.com/index.html

Detroit Boy's 911 Call Considered Prank; Mother Dies

A 6-year-old boy's 911 call for help was thought to be a prank, but the call was real and the boy's mother died, Local 4 reported.

Robert Turner called 911 to get help for his mother, Sherel Turner, 46, whom he found lying unconscious on the kitchen floor of their Detroit apartment in February, the station reported.

"Then I had felt her tummy. She wasn't breathing. Then I had called 911," said Robert. "I told them to send an emergency truck right now."

911 Operator: "911. What's the problem?"

Robert: "My mom has passed out."

The 911 operator, however, did not take him seriously and told him to stop playing on the phone, the station reported.

911 Operator: "Where's the grownups at?"

Robert: (Inaudible)

911 Operator: "Let me speak to her before I send the police over there."

"I tried to tell them she wouldn't talk," said Robert to Local 4.

Robert: (Inaudible)

911 Operator: "I don't care. You shouldn't be playing on the phone. Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you gonna be in trouble."

Robert: "Ugh!" (Hangs up.)

Kimberly Harris, the union president of AFSCME Local 1023, said more than a quarter of phone calls received by 911 operators are prank calls. She also said that everybody does not express their pain or emergencies the same way.

"That operator could have had five prank calls. Kids calling in prior to that call. And please, don't think that I am trying to make an excuse. That was a tragedy," said Harris.

Officials said the 911 operator will be disciplined, but because of her years of service she will not be fired.

"I know that operator. I know that she is a very good operator," said Harris. "She is very thorough.

Robert said every time someone talks about his mother, he starts crying.

Police continue to investigate.

[Dustdevil]

From: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006604100335

Audio of 911 tapes also available at that link.

911 death suit expected

Fieger: Boy's mom would be alive if operators took calls

April 10, 2006

BY BEN SCHMITT

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger said Sunday on the "Today" show that he believes a 46-year-old Detroit woman would have lived had a 911 emergency dispatcher taken seriously a call for help from her then-5-year-old son.

He said he plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family today.

On the show, Fieger held hands with Robert Turner, now 6, as Robert recounted the Feb. 20 incident in which he called 911 twice as his mother, Sherrill Turner, lay dying from complications of an enlarged heart in their west side Detroit apartment.

There's a critical time period to save a person suffering from problems due to an enlarged heart, Fieger said. And "had they responded immediately to the first call at 6 p.m., she certainly would have survived," Fieger said.

Detroit Police did not comment on Sunday. But, in a statement Friday, Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings urged the public not to rush to judgment, saying city residents "can be assured that our department is meticulously examining every aspect of what occurred."

The incident and subsequent frustration of the boy's voice heard in the replayed 911 tapes have stirred national outrage. Detroit police officials say they have received numerous complaints from people across the metro area and the country. Fieger said he plans to hold a news conference today at 11 a.m. at his Southfield law office to announce the filing of a suit.

According to the recording, when Robert -- who was alone with his mother -- first called 911 about 6 p.m., an operator asked him to bring an adult to the phone. Robert told the operator he couldn't.

At one point, "She hanged up on me," Robert said Friday. The recording indicates the dispatcher hung up after saying she would send police to the home. They did not arrive.

Robert called back about 9 p.m. And another operator told him: "You shouldn't be playing on the phone. ...Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you going to be in trouble."

Robert said he was scared and hung up the phone. The child could be heard saying "Ugh," after that last comment from the 911 operator.

Kimberly Harris, a 911 operator and president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1023 union, said Sunday that different dispatchers handled the two emergency calls.

A police squad car, not EMS, eventually responded to the call, but it was too late for Sherrill Turner. It was not clear at what point she died or whether she was alive when Robert made the first call.

"Today" played both calls Sunday.

"In general, this indicates an endemic problem," Fieger said. "There's a discounting of children. Robert did exactly what he was taught to do. And if we're concerned in the United States about the welfare of children, as I know we all are, we better be concerned when they call to ask for help as much as anybody else."

Robert, in a shirt and tie and seated between Fieger and his older sister, Delaina Patterson, explained that his mother taught him to call 911 in case of an emergency.

Of the operator who took at least one of the calls, he said: "She thought I was playing on the phone."

Contact BEN SCHMITT at 313-223-4296 or bcschmitt@freepress

[Scaramedic]

Yeah, heard this on the news, it made me sick. History of prank calls or not this call should have been taken seriously. It's up to the responders, not a dispatcher to verify the validity of a call. The dispatcher should be fired.

[Dustdevil]

Transcripts of the two 911 calls

First call, 5:59 p.m. Feb. 20:

Dispatcher: ""Emergency 911, what's the problem?"

Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."

Dispatcher: "Where's Mr. Turner at?..."

Robert: "Right here."

Dispatcher: "Let me talk to him."

Robert: ""She's not gonna ... she's not gonna talk."

Dispatcher: "OK, well I'm going to send the police to your house and find out what's going on with you. ..."

(Dispatcher hangs up.)

Second call, 9:02 p.m.:

Robert: "My mom has passed out. ..."

Dispatcher: "Where's the grown-ups at?"

Robert: (Inaudible. Dispatcher speaking over caller.)

Dispatcher: "Let me speak to her before I send the police over there."

Robert: "She's not gonna talk. ..."

Dispatcher: "Now put her on the phone before I send the police out there to knock on the door and you going to be in trouble."

Robert: "Ugh." (Hangs up.)

[vs-eh?]

Kimberly Harris, the union president of AFSCME Local 1023, said more than a quarter of phone calls received by 911 operators are prank calls. She also said that everybody does not express their pain or emergencies the same way.

Ummmm, I'm guessing that is an exaggeration. Extrapolating it to my service that would mean around 100,000 prank calls a year that are attended to. I honestly can't remember ever attending a call that was a prank. I also seriously doubt that DEMS dispatchers have sole discretion on deeming what is a "real call" and what is not, and whether to send an ambulance. If this case is any indication (and I highly doubt this is the first time), there would be massive legal issues surrounding mistaken pranks.

[Dustdevil]

They're spinning the numbers to help build a defence, but it's über lame. They are using the total number false calls, including 911 hang-ups, where the caller never says anything at all, which is intentionally misleading. The numbers of actual calls where somebody actually makes a bogus report -- from their own home -- is probably statistically insignificant.

When they start their whole defence with a lie, you know they're desperate.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I dispatched for a small county 911 system about 25K 911 calls a year. Of my 1 year of service there I answered about 2700 calls and I can count on both hands the number of pranks.

Either Detroit has a lot of jokers out there or this dispatch center is in big big big trouble.

I'm appalled at how this was handled by the 911 center. 2 calls from the same number about a passed out patient. Sounds like the same dispatcher also. 2 calls to me from same number and same emergency would have resulted in an ambulance or at least the pd

Very poor form on behalf of Detroit 911

[Guest]

This is on National News up here too, a prank call with a child crying on the phone and 2 calls?

If any doubt CHECK IT OUT Policy!

Dispatcher Fired????? Reports still say dispatchers on the job? wtf.

The Lawyer suggests it happens all over....like where????? in horror movies, (that child lives in one now!)

F*** that, I believe I have slightly better suggestion, dancing anyone.

I do have a few days off.

[wolfden]

Wow as a dispatcher being my primary job I can be glad I have never done such a horrible thing. I can't relate to a place that has the call volume like they have, but still that is so wrong.

[hfdff422]

Why the hell didn't she send a cop?- That is the SOP on any prank or hang-up call to any dispatch number in my area, period. I am guessing that the Detroit SOP is to send a cop as well.