An Albuquerque, New Mexico firefighter who hung up on a frantic 911 caller attempting to save the life of a 17-year-old gunshot victim has resigned, according to media reports.
The firefighter, Matthew Sanchez, was working in the city’s dispatch center when he received a call from a woman who said her friend was “dying”. The firefighter hung up after the woman snapped at him, saying: “I’m not going to deal with this, OK?”
The shooting happened as about 10 teenagers had gathered at a house in a south-eastern neighborhood of the city, around 10pm on 26 June. Police estimated that suspects shot five times at the house, one of which hit 17-year-old Jaydon Chavez-Silver, a senior at Manzano high school. Chavez-Silver later died from the gunshot.
The woman who called the city’s 911 dispatch center told Sanchez she was administering CPR as she spoke to him, but that Chavez-Silver looked like he was dying.
“I’m doing CPR as we speak, I’m keeping him alive!” the caller said.
“OK, is he not breathing?” Sanchez asked.
“Barely ... [inaudible] Stay with him! Stay with him, good job. Just stay with me, OK? OK, there you go, good job, Jaydon,” the caller said, speaking to the teen.
“Is he breathing?” Sanchez asked again.
“He’s barely breathing. How many times do I have to fucking tell you?”
“OK you know what, ma’am? You can deal with it yourself. I’m not going to deal with this, OK?” Sanchez said.
“No, my friend is dying,” the caller said as the phone cuts out.
The firefighter, a 10-year veteran of the department, was apparently first re-assigned to administrative duty, local television station KRQE reported. The firefighter resigned Tuesday night, according to a statement from the city manager.
Police are still investigating Chavez-Silver’s case, KRQE reported. At the time of the shooting, police said they believed the teen, a wrestler and football player at his high school, was at “the wrong place at the wrong time”. A $4,000 reward fund has been setup for anyone with information leading to the arrest of those involved.
