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Gunshot victim: 911 caller says dispatcher hung up as friend was dying

Gunshot victim: 911 dispatcher in New Mexico told a shooting victim to "deal with it yourself." The dispatcher resigned Tuesday. 

  • By Russell Contreras Associated Press

| Albuquerque, N.M.

A New Mexico dispatcher has resigned after telling a panicked 911 caller who was trying to save the life of a shooting victim to "deal with it yourself."

Matthew Sanchez was reassigned after officials became aware of the call, fire officials said on Monday. But a statement Tuesday evening from the office of Albuquerque's chief administrative officer said that Sanchez has resigned from the fire department.

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.

The New York Daily News reports:

“We heard rumors about the 911 operator hanging up on the caller when Jaydon was shot but had no other information,” the teen’s mom told KOB-TV in a statement. “After hearing the call today, it is heartbreaking to listen to. Right now, we just want to find the people responsible for this violent, deadly crime.”

Jaydon, a rising senior at Manzano High School, reportedly arrived at the party around 10 p.m. June 26, just minutes before someone walked up to the house or drove by and fired off about six shots.

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