Police Dispatcher Fired After Allegedly Hanging Up On Store Employee During Buffalo Shooting
A 911 dispatcher has been fired after allegedly hanging up on a store employee who called for help during last month’s mass shooting in Buffalo, New York.
Ten people were killed and three others injured in what authorities described as a “racially motivated hate crime” at Tops Friendly Supermarket on May 14. The 18-year-old shooter was arrested after targeting the supermarket, which serves a predominantly Black community.
As the terror unfolded, an assistant manager at the store dialed 911 to ask for help. Instead, the shooting survivor said she was yelled at by the dispatcher before being hung up on.
“She was yelling at me, saying, ‘Why are you whispering? You don’t have to whisper,’” Tops Supermarket assistant manager Latisha Rogers told The Buffalo News. “And I was telling her, ‘Ma’am, he’s still in the store. He’s shooting. I’m scared for my life. I don’t want him to hear me. Can you please send help?’ She got mad at me, hung up in my face.”
Erie County, which oversees the 911 call center, previously told HuffPost last month that the call “has been investigated” and the dispatcher was placed on leave. On Friday, NBC News reported that the dispatcher, who has not been identified but worked as a dispatcher for eight years, was fired.
“The individual, who was the subject of a disciplinary hearing yesterday, is no longer employed as a police complaint writer for Erie County,” spokesperson Peter Anderson told NBC News.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
