A Denver dispatcher quit after an investigation discovered she failed to send vital information to police officers on their way to the house of a 911 call where the caller was eventually shot and killed.
The officers were on their way to the house of the 911 call, but were never verbally informed of details that would have led them to realize that the chance of violence against the caller had increased, reports The Associated Press. One piece of information is that they weren't aware she told the dispatcher her husband had grabbed the gun from their safe.
Safety department spokeswoman Daelene Mix said that the dispatcher was allowed to quit just ahead of her firing.
According to KUSA, in April Kristine Kirk called 911 saying that her husband was hallucinating after consuming prescription pain medication and some edible marijuana. He allegedly eventually shot her while Kristine was still on the phone.
The police department said in a statement, "The response of the patrol officers was found to be reasonable and appropriate given the limited information that was aired by dispatch."
Denver Police Department Commander Matt Murray said that the incident was labeled a Class 1 priority, but 13 minutes went by between verbal updates by the dispatcher. The dispatcher kept sending the info to their laptops, but Murray noted, "It's not possible or safe for officers to be driving to a crime and reading a screen."
Kirk was charged with first-degree murder of his wife and is currently held in jail.