A Memphis 9-1-1 operator is being accused of sleeping on the job.
A woman who called the police after her house was robbed says the dispatcher she spoke with dozed off during the call.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"In the back of my mind, is will that ever happen to me again?"
WHEN YOU CALL 9-1-1...YOU EXPECT HELP IMMEDIATELY!
"LISA" GOT ANYTHING BUT.
"Our lives were in danger, our lives were at stake and our lifeline was severed."
SEVERED -- SHE SAYS -- BECAUSE THE 9-1-1 OPERATOR FELL ASLEEP ON THE LINE.
"I got this 911 tape through an open records request. Listen closely to hear what sounds like snoring."
HERE'S HOW IT BEGAN...
"I need somebody over here."
"LISA" CALLED 9-1-1 AND GOT A MEMPHIS OPERATOR.
SHE TOLD THE OPERATOR SHE WAS ROBBED AT GUNPOINT EARLIER THAT NIGHT --
AND THAT NOW SHE HEARS SOMEONE TRYING TO GET INTO HER HOME!
"I just heard tapping on my window, I need somebody over here."
LISA'S LIFELINE THEN WENT SILENT.
SHE CONTINUED TO EXPLAIN HER SITUATION...BUT THE DISPATCHER DID NOT RESPOND...
NOT FOR JUST 15 SECONDS OR 30 SECONDS...BUT FOR 1 FULL MINUTE!
THEN...SOUNDS OF SNORING.
"Are you there? Silence...Yes, ma'am, what is the um, what's your address?"
LISA HAD ALREADY GIVEN THE DISPATCHER HER ADDRESS.
"I asked the Memphis Police Department's spokesperson what happened during the 911 call. The spokesperson told me the Department launched an investigation because of my open records request for the tape. I filed that request more than three months ago."
SINCE THEN, A SUPERVISOR WITH THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS REPEATEDLY DENIED MY REQUESTS FOR AN INTERVIEW...SAYING QUOTE..."IT WOULD NOT BE PROPER TO GIVE AN INTERVIEW ON THE INCIDENT BEFORE THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS HAVE BEEN HELD IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY PERCEPTION OF BIAS ON THE PART OF ADMINISTRATION."
SO WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING?
THE SPOKESPERSON SAID THE HEARING CANNOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE DISPATCHER RETURNS TO WORK.
I'M TOLD THE DISPATCHER HAS BEEN ON EXTENDED SICK LEAVE SINCE I FILED THE REQUEST FOR THE POLICE TAPE...THREE MONTHS AGO.
SINCE THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT WON'T TALK TO US ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED...WE WENT OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT.
I ASKED COLLIERVILLE POLICE CHIEF LARRY GOODWIN TO LISTEN TO THE CALL.
"You there?"
CHIEF GOODWIN SAID THE SILENCE ON THE OTHER END OF THE CALL INDICATES SOMETHING WENT WRONG.
"There is obviously something that went on that caused that delay. Between the time the individual answered the telephone to the time she prompted him back, now what that is, I don't know."
LISA EVENTUALLY GOT HELP...ONLY AFTER SHE CALLED ANOTHER 9-1-1 AGENCY.
"She says she called 911 but the dispatcher fell asleep on the phone. "Oh, no. Oh yeah."
A spokesperson for Memphis Police says both the dispatcher and his supervisor that night have been relieved of duty.
The supervisor for 20 days, the dispatcher for 7 days.
The woman known as "Lisa" in the story asked that we not reveal her real name because she works for another 9-1-1 agency and doesn't want to create conflicts at work.
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