Stupidity reigns supreme in Detroit

How many dead citizens would it take to get a 911 operator reprimanded?

(Detroit, April 6, 2006, 11:00 P.M.) An investigation is underway in Detroit after a six-year-old boy called 911 to get help for his mom, and the operator acted as if it were a joke.

Detroit NBC Affiliate WDIV reports that six-year-old Robert Turner called 911 on February 20. He thought his mother 46-year-old Sherrill Turner had passed out. She was later found dead.

911 tapes detail the call, where the boy tells a female operator that his mom had passed out. The operator demands to speak to an adult before sending police.

The boy eventually hung up and called back a short time later. This time the same operator warns the boy that he could get in trouble for making a prank call to 911. Taylor says police didn't arrive until three hours later and found his mother dead.

A reasonable conclusion a reader might make of this is that someone has a big lawsuit heading their way. You would also expect that Detroit police would fire the 911 operator, or at least suspend her for a time. You would only be guessing 50-50.

The family is now pursuing a lawsuit. Detroit police are investigating and say they are not sure about what, if any, disciplinary will be taken against the 911 operator.

Shouldn't a presumption exist that a 911 call is legitimate? There is plenty of opportunity later to charge someone with making a prank call. Either the operator was not trained sufficiently or is incapable of making logical value judgments under pressure.

But if she is not at least disciplined for this incident, it will only prove that the police of Detroit are likewise incapable of making logical value judgments.