Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

[picklemonkey]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/10/911.call.ap/index.html

DETROIT, Michigan (AP) -- A lawyer said he plans a lawsuit over the death of a woman whose young son called 911 to report she had collapsed, only to be told he shouldn't be playing on the phone.

Geoffrey Fieger, best known for defending assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, is representing the boy, Robert Turner, who turned 6 last month.

Fieger said Sherrill Turner, who had an enlarged heart, would have survived February 20 if help had been sent immediately.

The boy recounted his talk with the 911 operator on Sunday's "Today" show on NBC.

"She thought I was playing on the phone," Robert said.

By the time authorities arrived, Sherrill Turner, 46, was dead.

"This indicates an endemic problem," Fieger said. "There's a discounting of children. Robert did exactly what he was taught to do."

Detroit police are investigating the 911 response. A spokesman did not immediately return a call Sunday.

After Turner collapsed, Robert placed two calls to 911. In the first call about 6 p.m., Robert told an operator his mother had passed out, but an operator asked to speak with an adult.

When he called back about three hours later, an operator told him: "You shouldn't be playing on the phone."

Police arrived after the second call.

In a statement Friday, Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings said it was important not to rush to judgment and indicated she would have no further comment because of "imminent or impending litigation."

Fieger said he plans to file the wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Detroit on Monday.

[anonin]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

thats so fucked up!

[skahound]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

Yeah, saw that on the news last week. The family DEFINITELY has every right to sue on this one.

[Adikted]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

That's shitty ... any idea how old the kid was?

[picklemonkey]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

six

[Adikted]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

ok, im sorry but a kid at the age of 6 knows what he is doing when and if he is calling 911 .. would be interesting to hear the actual call that justified the moron operator to consider it a prank call.

[picklemonkey]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

"teeehehehehehehehe! my mommy's dying! hehehehehehehe! you need to send help! and quick hehehe!"

[Adikted]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

smartass .. but for some reason i dont see the kid teeeheeeeing lol

[skahound]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

They played the phone call on the news last week and I didn't hear anything but a smartass operator demanding to speak to an adult to confirm what the child was saying. Then she said that if he didn't stop playing on the phone she was going to send the police. He hung up after a grunt and then 3 hours later paramedics arrived.

[Troklo]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

Thats just sad I hope that jackass operator gets what he deserves

[lilsensa]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

That's shitty ... any idea how old the kid was?

"Geoffrey Fieger, best known for defending assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, is representing the boy, Robert Turner, who turned 6 last month."

very first line of the article, lol

[Adikted]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

"Geoffrey Fieger, best known for defending assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, is representing the boy, Robert Turner, who turned 6 last month."

very first line of the article, lol

hey i'm blonde for a reason .. and i read it like 3 times before i asked geesh

[daveman]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

real sad story. i saw something on it this weekend that played the recording. the 911 operator totally dismissed this one from the start.

the sad part is that the kid hung up confused, and went on playing unsure of when his mother was going to wake up. the news made it sound that the kid was worried but didn't know what to do.

i just hope that the operator doesn't get off because of the kid being unsure of what to do.

[lilsensa]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

its all good Adikted...

[speciale]

Re: Mother dies as son's 911 call is dismissed as a prank

well that will be a rich kid soon