911 Dispatcher Quits After Hanging Up On Caller

A 911 dispatcher has quit after he hung up on a panicking woman who called when her friend was fatally injured in a shooting, news reports said.

Matthew Sanchez, an Albuquerque firefighter, had been placed on administrative leave after an investigation into the incident in New Mexico on 26 June.

During the frantic call, Esperanza Quintero swore at him as she battled to keep 17-year-old Jaydon Chavez-Silver alive after he had been shot at a party.

In it, she said:

:: Caller: "I'm doing CPR as we speak. I'm keeping him alive."

:: Sanchez: "Okay, is he not breathing?"

:: Caller: "Barely. Stay with him. Stay with him, good job. Just stay with me, okay, okay. There you go. Good job Jaydon."

:: Sanchez: "Is he breathing?"

:: Caller: "He's barely breathing. How many times do I have to f****** tell you?"

:: Sanchez: "Okay, you know what ma'am? You could deal with it yourself. I'm not gonna deal with this, okay?"

:: Caller: "No, my friend is dying..."

Mr Sanchez then ended the call.

David Downey, Albuquerque Fire Chief, said in a statement: "As the chief of the department, I am taking the allegation very seriously."

Emergency crews were already on their way to the scene, but Mr Chavez-Silver died later in hospital.

Mr Sanchez was apparently re-assigned to administrative duty after the call, local TV station KRQE reported.

But Rob Perry, Albuquerque chief administrative office, told USA Today that Mr Sanchez had "tendered his resignation of employment from the Albuquerque Fire Department".

No arrests have been made over Mr Chavez-Silver's death. It is believed he was not the intended target of the shooting.

Following a shooting last month, Albuquerque Police Sergeant Simon Drobik said it was "a possible case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Ms Quintero told Albuquerque station KOAT: "I was frantic; I was scared."

She added she wished Mr Sanchez had done more to help her. "Something little, instead of, 'What are you doing, what are you doing, what are you doing, were are you at,' then click," she said.