A South Carolina woman's distressing 911 call has sparked outrage after a dispatcher dismissed her pleas for help as a suspicious man prowled her property.
Lindsey Stech received a motion alert from her doorbell camera on Dec. 18, revealing a man lurking in her yard with a flashlight.
@lindseystech This was the second 911 agent I spoke to this night. I called 911 after seeing this man on my camera. After the police missed my house, this agent tried to tell me no one was there. (These are clips taken from my Blink doorbell that are only a few seconds each. These clips are not lined up with the 911 call. Most of these clips happened before I spoke with this 911 agent. However, the clips are in order.) #fyp #911calls #911 #spartanburgcounty #foryoupage #fypシ #911hungup #unacceptable ♬ original sound - 🩷 Lindsey
Stech called 911, and a deputy was dispatched to investigate but found nothing during the initial search. When Stech later spotted the man again through her camera, she called 911 to request the deputy's return. The operator, however, declined her request.
"There is nobody outside," the operator told the caller.
"Well, I mean, I'm looking at him right now," Stech insisted.
"They're not going to come by again," the operator replied.
Stech expressed disbelief and tearfully repeated that she could see the man, the growing fear evident in her voice.
"I'm going to say goodbye now," the dispatcher said, ending the call. "There's nothing more that I can do now. Have a good night."
Stech described feeling "lost, hopeless and panic-filled" as the situation unfolded. Ultimately, the deputy returned, spoke with the man, and informed Stech that he was allegedly waiting for another woman, as reported by WYFF.
Following the incident, Spartanburg County 911 issued a statement acknowledging the dispatcher's failure to communicate effectively with Stech. According to the statement, the dispatcher did follow up with the deputy, but failed to convey that action to Stech.
The agency apologized, pledged to implement additional training, and confirmed personnel action against the operator. A joint investigation with the local police department is ongoing to address concerns about both the dispatcher and the officer's handling of the situation.
"We deeply regret the distress caused to the caller and are committed to learning from this incident," Spartanburg 911 stated.
Originally published on Latin Times
