Two Suspended For Delayed Answer of Cop's Emergency Call
By Anthonia Akitunde in News on Oct 18, 2009 9:00PM
Two 911 emergency center employees have been suspended without pay for their part in a "dispatch delay" that left an off-duty Chicago cop alone to defend himself against a car full of alleged gang members, the Sun-Times reports.
The unnamed dispatcher and his supervisor didn't respond to the officer's initial 911 call for six minutes and 10 seconds, according to Ray Orozco, executive director of the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications. An officer calling for help, otherwise known as a 10-1, is considered the "most serious of emergency calls" and requires "immediate dispatch," the report said. However, by the time police had been dispatched, the officer had reached the Harrison District police station and his assailants had driven off.
After the chase, inspection of the officer's car found at least three bullet holes. It is believed one of the holes narrowly missed hitting the back of the officer's head.
While Orozco would not reveal the length of the suspension, other sources told the Sun-Times the dispatcher's punishment "could last as long as 45 days." According to the report, a spokesman for Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis refused to say whether or not he agreed with the punishment. Weis previously said "nothing short of firing would be enough," the report said.