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911 dispatcher resigns after telling frantic caller 'deal with it yourself'

By Amy R. Connolly
A New Mexico 911 dispatcher resigned after he told a frantic caller to "deal with it yourself" and hung up as she was trying to get help for a shooting victim. Caller Esperanza Quintero, 17, said she is shocked by the way the dispatcher acted. The 17-year-old shooting victim died. Screenshot from KOAT
A New Mexico 911 dispatcher resigned after he told a frantic caller to "deal with it yourself" and hung up as she was trying to get help for a shooting victim. Caller Esperanza Quintero, 17, said she is shocked by the way the dispatcher acted. The 17-year-old shooting victim died. Screenshot from KOAT

ALBUQUERQUE, July 29 (UPI) -- A 911 dispatcher resigned after he told a frantic caller to "deal with it yourself" and hung up as she was trying to get help for a friend who had just been shot in the chest.

Matthew Sanchez, a 10-year veteran of the Albuquerque Fire Department, abruptly hung up on 17-year-old Esperanza Quintero on June 23 after she said an expletive in her panic-stricken rush to help her friend, Jaydon Chavez-Silver, who later died.

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"It was his job. I don't understand why he would have hung up," she said.

The situation unfolded Thursday night as Quintero was hanging out in the kitchen of her Albuquerque home and playing cards with friends that included 17-year-old Chavez-Silver. He had only been there for about five minutes before shots rang out from a passing car.

Warning: Audio clip contains an expletive

As Quintero was desperately trying to help her friend, she called 911. During the call, Sanchez asked Quintero at least twice if he was still breathing.

"He is barely breathing. How many times do I have to (expletive) tell you?" she said.

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At that point, Sanchez cut off the call.

"OK, you know what, ma'am? You can deal with it yourself. I'm not going to deal with this, OK," Sanchez said.

"No! My friend is dying," Quintero said as the call disconnected.

Melissa Romero, a spokeswoman for the Fire Department, said an ambulance had been dispatched while Sanchez was on the line. It arrived at the scene in 4 minutes and 26 seconds, she said. Chief David Downey said the department has started an internal investigation.

"As the chief of the department, I am taking the allegation very seriously," he said. Police are also investigating the shooting.

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