911 Operator Tells Caller “Deal With It Yourself”

Fact checked
911 operator

A frantic caller to 911 who was trying to help a shooting victim in New Mexico was shocked when the 911 operator told the person to “deal with it yourself”.

According to ABC News:

Matthew Sanchez was reassigned after officials became aware of the call, fire officials said.

“An internal investigation has been initiated,” Albuquerque Fire Chief David Downey said Monday in a statement. “I am taking the allegation very seriously.”

The call was made after Jaydon Chavez-Silver, 17, was shot in June as he watched other teens play cards at a friend’s house in Albuquerque. He later died. Police have not named a suspect and have made no arrests.

In the recording obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, the panicked caller snaps at the dispatcher for repeatedly asking whether Chavez-Silver is breathing.

During the call, the female says, “I am keeping him alive!”

Sanchez asks, “Is he not breathing?”

The caller responds, “Barely!”

She is then heard frantically encouraging Chavez-Silver to keep breathing.

“One more breath! One more breath!” she is heard telling the teen. “There you go Jaydon. One more breath! There you go Jaydon. Good job! Just stay with me, OK? OK?”

The dispatcher then asks again, “Is he breathing?”

The female responded, “He is barely breathing, how many times do I have to (expletive) tell you?”

“OK, you know what ma’am? You can deal with it yourself. I am not going to deal with this, OK?” the dispatcher says.

It seemed from the tape that Sanchez hung up on the caller in mid-sentence.

“No, my friend is dying .,” she said as the call ended.

Royce Christyn

Royce Christyn

Journalist at News Punch
Documentarian, Writer, Producer, Director, Author.
Royce Christyn

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