"Deal With It Yourself": 911 Operator Hangs Up On Caller While Teen Dies
A 911 dispatcher with the Albuquerque Fire Department has been reassigned after hanging up on a frustrated caller attending to a dying gunshot victim, NBC News reports.
In a released audio recording, dispatcher Matthew Sanchez can be heard saying “I’m not going to deal with this, okay?” in response to the caller’s vulgar language before ending the phone call. From KOB-TV:
Caller: (inaudible) I’m keeping him alive.
Sanchez: Is he not breathing?
Caller: Barely. (inaudible) Stay with me. Stay with me, ok. Good job Jaydon.
Sanchez: Is he breathing?
Caller: He’s barely breathing. How many times do I have to [fucking] tell you?
Sanchez: Ok, [you know] what ma’am? You can deal with yourself. I’m not going to deal with this, ok.
Caller: No, he’s going to die.
The call ends there.
According to KRQE, fire department units had been dispatched before Sanchez disconnected the line but the victim, 17-year-old Jaydon Chavez-Silver, was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
On Monday, Albuquerque Fire Department Chief David Downey released a statement saying he was “taking the allegation very seriously.”
“After learning of the alleged misconduct, Driver Matthew Sanchez was immediately removed from the dispatch center and placed on administrative assignment,” wrote Downey. “An internal investigation has been initiated.”
