Dispatcher Suspended Over 911 Calls

A Lexington (Ken.) 911 dispatcher has been suspended without pay after answering a 911 call from a woman who was being held at gunpoint in her home, but who believed it was a prank call. The woman was at home with three friends when an armed man broke it, threatened the foursome and forced them into a bathroom as he robbed them. The homeowner was able to dial 911, but a male dispatcher didn’t believe the woman, warning her, “I’m taking a picture of you.” The woman tried a second call on another cellular phone, but said the line went dead after she whispered her address. The comm center director told a local TV reporter that the dispatcher’s actions were “inappropriate,” and that the dispatcher had been disciplined. Read the story and listen to a snippet of the 911 call here.