On January 18, a jury convicted a 9-1-1 operator of willful neglect of duty after she blew off a boy’s call for help when his mother passed out. The boy was six at the time, and when his mother passed out as a result of her heart condition, he called for help. The operator, according to his testimony, accused him of playing a prank and hung up on him. When his mother did not get up, he called back, three hours later, reaching a second operator, who, instead of sending paramedics for the boy’s mom, sent police to the scene. The police discovered the woman dead.
The first operator was convicted of willful neglect, despite her testimony that she could not hear the boy on the line. The second operator had charges dismissed, because she had dispatched some form of aid to the scene. Currently, a wrongful death case is proceeding against the city for its failure to respond adequately to the boy’s calls for help.
If the negligence of a police operator, emergency room technician, or first-responder has led to the death of a loved one in Phoenix, Arizona, contact the experienced wrongful death attorneys at Snyder & Wenner P.C.
