‘Stay down, stay low’: Dispatcher calms frightened neighbor during Galway Drive shootout
There was silence, until there wasn’t.
It was Monday afternoon on Galway Drive. Some east Charlotte neighbors were home, showering and waiting for their kids to get home from school. Others were at work, about to be glued to their news feed.
One — Terry Hughes, Jr. — would rupture the quiet as officers approached a home to serve him an arrest warrant. The 39-year-old was wanted for possession of a weapon as a felon and eluding police.
Shots zipped through the air for nearly two hours in the April 29 firefight that would leave eight officers struck and four dead. Hughes also died in the shootout.
Miles away, a dispatcher answered a 911 call from a neighbor who had become stunned by the shooting. The Charlotte Observer obtained the 911 calls through a public records request.
“Do you need police, fire or MEDIC?” the dispatcher asked.
There was silence, then a lungful of air released.
“No, um...” the neighbor said with a quivering voice. “There are, I believe it’s U.S. marshals in front of my house —”
“Yep, you stay down,” the dispatcher directed. “... Stay down and stay low. Officers are on scene.”
With another fluttering exhale, the neighbor started to ask: “What the hell is —”
“There’s a shooting going on,” the dispatcher said before the neighbor finished. “It’s a lot of stuff going on out there. Just stay where you are, OK? Stay safe, stay low, stay inside.”
“OK,” they responded with an unsure sigh.
“I’m sorry this is happening to you guys,” the dispatcher said, “but officers are involved in the shooting.”
”So, so...,” the neighbor muttered. “So they’re here and they won’t even talk to us?”
“They’re there, they’re shooting ... the officers are shooting,” the dispatcher replied.
As dozens of shots ring out, there’s a long pause on the other end.
“Are you guys OK?” the dispatcher asked.
“I mean yeah,” the caller responded. “We’re scared.”
“Take a breath,” the dispatcher said before explaining that an officer would be calling the neighbor. The caller would have to hang up first.
“I know you’re nervous,” the dispatcher said. “Be safe.”
