Armed citizen dials 911 and waits...and waits...and waits...

[hammAR]

http://www.buckeyefirearms.org/node/5621

Armed citizen dials 911 and waits...and waits...and waits...
By Chad D. Baus

Gun ban extremists and others who oppose the right of self defense are fond of saying that when a person is in danger, the best thing to do is to call 911 and let the police take care of it.

But what happens when you dial 911 and the police tell you to wait...and wait...and wait?

One Columbus-area business owner was wise enough to have made his own plans for that very eventuality...

On Thursday, April 17, a drive-thru carryout owner and Concealed Handgun License (CHL)-holder was investigating why his security alarm went off after just having closed up for the night when he was surprised by an intruder who had been hiding in his store. The entire confrontation that followed was caught on tape.

As can be seen in the security video the intruder surprised the store owner, who was forced to draw his gun when the intruder advanced toward him.

He ordered the intruder onto his knees, and held him at gunpoint while attempting to dial 911. At that point, the intruder got up and began advancing toward the CHL-holder again.

The store owner attempted to keep the intruder from approaching him, and showed admirable restraint as the intruder advanced on him several times.

The 911 call begins at that point.

"I've got a gun on a guy that's in my business," the store owner says. "Get the cops here."

"Where are you at?" inquires the 911 operator.

After the store owner gives his address and the name of his business, he says again "Get 'em here."

The operator responds by asking "Why do you have a gun on him?"

The store owner calmly explains "because he's in my business after hours."

At this point, the intruder can again be seen approaching the store owner, and moving himself out of the cameras' view.

The operator can be heard asking "who is this person?", just as the store owner is heard giving the intruder commands, and the operator asks again, "Who is this person?"

The store owner, preoccupied with the intruder's refusal to comply with his demands, doesn't respond. He can again be heard commanding the intruder to get on the ground as the operator says "Sir you need to talk to me....You need to talk to me...Who is this gentleman that's in your business?...Hello?"

The store owner comes back to the line and says, "Yeah, what can I do for you?"

"You need to talk to me and tell me why do you have a gun to this man's head?" the operator demands, imagining something that never occurred, let alone ever communicated to her by the store owner. The operator continually peppers him with questions for which she already had been told the answers. "Is the business closed? Did he break in?"

The store owner explains again, "Yeah, my business is closed, I was here a half hour. He was hiding in here. I shut the door and then my alarm went off. I come over here and the guy's in my business."

"Stay on the line with me," the operator replies. "I have officers en route," she finally informs him, more than one minute into the call.

As the 911 audio and security video shows, the store owner's attention was drawn away from the intruder as he was forced to explain/ defend himself to the 911 operator about why he was holding a man at gun point.

Next the operator informs the store owner that "when an officer gets there you have to put the gun down. Do you understand that?"

"I understand that," he replies.

"What is your name?" she can be heard saying, at the same time the store owner informs her that "There's two of 'em in here." (The store owner had been told this by the intruder. It turned out to be a lie.)

"Are the both on the ground?", the operator inquires.

"No. One's in the office, and the other's just standing around right now," he replies.

At that point the store owner can again be heard issuing commands to the intruder.

"Do you have a permit for that gun, sir?", she continued.

"Yes I do," he replied, "and I'm on my own property."

"Ok, well, you need to answer my questions and stop being brief to me," she scolds. "What is your name?" The store owner replies with his name.

At the same time the operator is peppering him with questions, the store owner hears a horn honking outside. Thinking the police have arrived and need a way into the building, he can be seen in the video backing toward the locked door. (The honking horn turned out to be the store owner's daughter, coming to see why he had not turned off the alarm. Her car can be seen approaching in the security footage.)

More than two and a half minutes into the 911 call, the intruder took advantage of the situation and long delay in police response and fled out the door as the store owner shouts "Get back here!"

After inquiring about the intruder's physical description and direction he fled, the operator again says "We have officers en route. They're still en route."

At the three minute mark, the operator can be heard asking someone to relay the information to county law enforcement (who eventually responded to the call).

"Obviously I've got an emergency situation, she says, revealing exactly who she thought was the bad guy in the situation. "I have a gentleman with a guy at gun point."

The store owner can then be seen in the security video searching the business to determine if there was a second intruder.

More than a minute after the intruder escaped, and three and a half minutes into the 911 call, the operator explains that the delay is because "you called the Columbus police department so we're having to relay the information to the county if you could stay on the line with me."

"I'm here," he replies calmly.

"I understand that sir," she retorts. "I'm, ah, we're trying to get the county out there. You called the Columbus police department."

"I called 911," the store owner says.

"You've called the Columbus police department. Your cell phone has come to the Columbus police department. We're getting on the phone with county to have them respond sir," the 911 operator answers as the clock on the call passes the four minute mark.

"I'm glad there were no shots fired," the store owner calmly observes.

"OK, sir, do not be angry with me," the operator replied defensively.

The operator then inquires about the whereabouts of the second intruder, and the store owner replies that he still believes "he's in here somewhere."

Finally, more than four and a half minutes into the call, the operator said "I'm going to patch you through to the county. They are en route. I'm gonna transfer you there. You need to stay on the line."

"Don't do anything stupid," she concludes, once again treating the store owner as if he was the person she was most concerned about.

At just under five minutes after the store owner called 911, a second vehicle can be seen in the security video pulling up outside the store. The driver a retired deputy who lives close to the store and knows the store owner. He heard the alarm and responded.

Another minute later, and nearly six minutes after the 911 call was first placed, a sheriff's deputy's cruiser appears on the security video, and soon after the deputy can be seen clearing the building. Thankfully, there was no second intruder.

NBC Columbus (WCMH) posted a video report on the incident on their website entitled "Owner Draws Gun".

[cobb]

"Do you have a permit for that gun, sir?", she continued.

"Yes I do," he replied, "and I'm on my own property."

"Ok, well, you need to answer my questions and stop being brief to me," she scolds.

Gabe Suaraz will tell you, give initial info like name and location, then put the phone down without hanging up. The dispatcher will ask questions, either stupid or questions that you do not need to explain until you have an attorney present.

This is a good example of what he is saying.

[1911fan]

I most certainly hope that the dispatcher loses her job over her performance.

[macphisto]

Nice attitude; what an idiot. I'd love to see what she would do if faced with that situation. Wait, she'd probably be dead before getting the phone out of her pocket because she obviously doesn't believe in guns...they're icky.

[Srigs]

The store owner did a good job and I'm surprised he did not shoot the perp. The 911 operator is an idiot.

Cobb your right, he should put the phone down as soon as he provided the needed information and ideally on speaker phone. All my cell phones have speaker phone capability which would be used.

[tt3]

I like John Caile's advice. Call, let them know you need officers and where you are, maybe who you are and what you are wearing then hang up. If there isn't a response fast enough make another call with the same info and hang up again. Leaving the phone on to record everything you are saying or might say ... ooh, I don't know. What if you say something stupid that gets used in court?

[cobb]

Or the recording supports your side of the story in court. The 911 tape records you making verbal warnings such as, the police are on the way so you had better leave, stay away or I will shoot, I have a gun and will protect myself, etc. Now in court the wounded or crippled perp swears he thought nobody was home, that he would have left if he thought there was someone home, and you just plain jumped out and shot him with no warning.

Remember the gun toting grandma from a few years back?

That is why some defense instructors recommend the phone stay off hook to record your defense.

[JohninMinnesota]

Castle Doctrine needed. Criminals are forcing people into bad situations, and they should have the law on their side.

[Greg]

After you call 911 on your cell phone you will have to go through a menu or two to hang up.

If you just hit "end" it will not hang up, this is so someone can't just hang up your cell phone by closing it or hitting "end" if they take it away from you.

Maybe something not so easy to do when watching the perp!

[Aceq2jot]

After you call 911 on your cell phone you will have to go through a menu or two to hang up.

If you just hit "end" it will not hang up, this is so someone can't just hang up your cell phone by closing it or hitting "end" if they take it away from you.

Maybe something not so easy to do when watching the perp!

And remember that in Minnesota 911 calls go to the state patrol dispatch, and thye really like the T-Mobile 2nd gen phones as they are the best for pin pointing your location if you you are not sure where you are

[BRIT_in_the_weeds]

On most M-phones you can turn that function OFF.

[DeanC]

[ttousi]

Need some of those shades

[BRIT_in_the_weeds]

:shock:

Need some of those shades

What, you bought another pink purse?

[JonL]

:shock:

Need some of those shades

What, you bought another pink purse?

They'd go pretty well with that PINK handgun I saw a while back!