Emergency operator hangs up on calls

[Lara]

Just read this piece in the news about a 911 emergency operator who hung up on calls simply because she didn't feel like talking over the phone at the time. The punishment that she got, $4000 for each count, seems too light as these calls were serious; one man losing his life could have been prevented.

[cspwal]

On 10/21/2016 at 10:18 PM, Lara said:

one man losing his life could have been prevented.

Couldn't this be negligent manslaughter?

[Lara]

I agree, but, for some reason, she's not being pressed for these charges. He was the manager of a store that was being robbed at the time of the call.

[Vishen]

I think that she should have been charged for that, but what's done is done. Also, she has to live with the knowledge that she caused a man's death for the rest of your life so maybe that's punishment enough. 

[samagon]

it would be impossible to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that her hanging up on the caller rather than dispatching a patrol car resulted in the death of the store manager.

 

as this is really unprecedented I'm sure rules are going to be rewritten.

[Esther]

I think Samagon may be right. I'm very surprised to hear that they had no rules for this kind of thing. Or if they do, then they don't really apply to this exact situation. I just hope that justice will be served, for the sake of those poor victims. 

[Lara]

Still, I think, at the very least, she should be held on account of being an accessory to the armed robbery that took place. That will be more fair than letting her get off, setting a dangerous precedent.

[Ricardo]

This would be like charging someone for standing by and not doing anything while they are watching a crime being committed. I only know of one state, somewhere in New England, that will actually charge a person for doing nothing to stop a crime they are watching being committed by someone else.

[SirJac]

On 10/27/2016 at 7:15 AM, Vishen said:

I think that she should have been charged for that, but what's done is done. Also, she has to live with the knowledge that she caused a man's death for the rest of your life so maybe that's punishment enough. 

 

You never know though. Some people have zero empathy for others, and this sounds like her. To hang up on people in dire need shows a total lack of empathy on her part.

 

Double or triple the fines. That's the only thing that would phase her I think.

[Vishen]

You may be right. There are those among us who don't seem to have any conscience at all. I wonder what has to happen to a person to turn them into that cold, uncaring thing.

[Lara]

On 11/7/2016 at 2:22 AM, Ricardo said:

This would be like charging someone for standing by and not doing anything while they are watching a crime being committed. I only know of one state, somewhere in New England, that will actually charge a person for doing nothing to stop a crime they are watching being committed by someone else.

 

I appreciate the example given, and I must admit I am not well-versed with the intricacies of the law in this regard. I don't consider it right, though, to put people who are in such important positions in the same category as bystanders. 

[Ricardo]

True, a 911 operator is not a mere bystander, but they, the operator on the phone and a person physically there, are both in a position to help. A 911 operator is trained to help whereas the average bystander is not. That being the case, I think that law in New England has it backwards.