A Phoenix (Ariz.) police dispatcher calmly talked a suspect in a violent murder to surrender after he dialed 911, but police are also investigating how a 911 call was handled one day earlier by a child, reporting the suspect was “mentally unstable.” At the end of a remarkable eight-minute 911 call with an unnamed calltaker, Andrew Ward walked out of convenience store and was taken into custody. Police found Ward’s 12 year-old brother back home, repeatedly stabbed to death. One day earlier, a young girl dialed 911 from Ward’s home to tell a calltaker that Ward had just arrived home. “We’re afraid he bought something that could possibly harm us,” the girl said. However, the calltaker told the youth that, “I can’t guarantee that (officers are) going to go in and search his room because he’s not doing anything.” The girl mentioned that her mother was also home, but the calltaker didn’t ask to speak to the mother, or ask other questions that might have provided more background on Ward’s behavior. The girl ended the call by saying, “OK. I guess I’ll have to wait till he does something.” Police officials declined to comment on the first 911 call, but did issue a statement. “Our operators ‘screen’ several million calls per year and follow our policies, directives,” it said, “and their experience to dispatch officers when they believe it is necessary. If we all had the benefit of hindsight, of course we would have liked to seen a different outcome in this case.” Listen to the child’s call here. Also listen to the suspect’s 911 call, during which the talented calltaker convinces a stranger to leave his cellular phone with the suspect so she can maintain contact with him as officers responded.
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