It’s been awhile since we checked in with the Houston Emergency Center. So, anything new going on?
Two city of Houston Emergency Center dispatchers have been sanctioned over a 911 call that a motorist placed as he was being shot at on the West Loop.
Local 2 Investigates reported that the citywide policy is now being changed because of this call, but city leaders refused to release the tape recording of exactly what happened.
Uh oh.
Former military service member Patrick Fitzgerald dialed 911 as he was being shot at on Loop 610 near Bellaire on the morning of Aug. 28.
[snip]
He complained to the mayor’s office that the dispatcher refused to take a description of the car or the gunman who was firing at him. He saw the car speed up the entrance ramp to U.S. 59, but since he was unsure whether the car headed north or south, he said the dispatcher scolded him.
Fitzgerald said, “Because I could not give a direction to the operator, she actually said to me, ‘What, you want me to pull resources for this?’ I was totally shocked. I was actually furious now at that point.”
The city of Houston routinely releases 911 audio recordings, but in this case the tape was kept secret despite a formal Public Information Act request from Local 2 Investigates. The city asserted that the case is still under investigation, so releasing the recording would jeopardize that case.
However, Fitzgerald said he never received a single follow-up phone call from police, and the official offense report that was filed shows absolutely no entries detailing follow-up investigative work.
Nope, nothing new. Just the same old HEC.
