Parents of slain teen suing 911 dispatcher
Suit claims firefighter hung up on caller, delaying responders
The parents of an Albuquerque teen killed in a drive-by shooting have filed a lawsuit against a dispatcher who hung up on a 911 caller asking for help.
Jaydon Chavez-Silver, a popular Manzano High School athlete, later died. Police said the gunshots were not intended for him, and two people have since been convicted of crimes surrounding his death in June 2015. A third defendant’s case is pending.
When the 17-year-old caller used profane language, Albuquerque firefighter Matthew Sanchez told her, “I don’t have to deal with this, you deal with it,” before hanging up, the lawsuit alleges.
Audio of the 911 call sparked outrage and made national headlines. Sanchez later resigned from the Albuquerque Fire Department. It is not clear who is representing him in the lawsuit.
The wrongful death lawsuit filed Monday by Nicole Chavez and Ronald Silver alleges medical negligence and seeks compensatory damages.
According to the lawsuit, when Chavez-Silver collapsed to the floor, several people attempted to administer CPR and other first aid. One friend called 911 and was connected with Sanchez, an emergency medical dispatcher, for instructions on administering help while waiting for emergency medical personnel to arrive.
Sanchez asked repeatedly whether Chavez-Silver was breathing, and as the panicking teen answered, she also cursed at Sanchez, according to the lawsuit. By hanging up, Sanchez delayed the arrival of paramedics, the lawsuit says, and “caused Jaydon ChavezSilver to lose his last clear chance to be kept alive.”
The lawsuit alleges that Sanchez’s actions constitute medical malpractice and an “intentional abandonment of a patient” to whom he was supposed to be providing healthcare services.
Dominic Conyers pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit murder and shooting at an occupied dwelling. He is serving a 12-year prison sentence. Nicholas Gonzales, who pleaded guilty to shooting at a dwelling resulting in great bodily harm and conspiracy, was sentenced in February to one year in custody. Esias Madrid’s first-degree murder case is pending.