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Police in lawrence kansas break into wrong house to prevent suicide Fri Oct 14, 5:33 PM
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Police here broke down the front door of a home, responding to a report of a suicidal woman. They had the wrong home. In fact, they had the wrong state.
Douglas County now plans to pay for a new front door for Bernice Kennedy, 80, and her husband, Bernard, 82. The county's emergency dispatchers have undergone extra training, and the police are defending their conduct.
"It's a wonder I didn't have a heart attack," Bernice Kennedy told the Lawrence Journal-World.
The incident occurred early Monday morning, after a woman called the county's emergency communications center, distraught and looking for a suicide hot line. She later said she'd taken a drug that would kill her.
The call didn't come in on the 911 line, so the dispatchers' computer display didn't show the number or address from where the woman was calling, said Selma Southard, assistant director.
But instead of asking the phone company to trace the line _ which would revealed that the call came from Oklahoma the dispatcher called directory assistance and asked for an address, Southard said.
By mistake, the dispatcher repeated the communication center's extension number _ matching the last four digits of the Kennedys' number. The police went to their house at about 3 a.m.
Bernice Kennedy said officers should have investigated more thoroughly before breaking down the door.
But police spokesman Sgt. Dan Ward said the officers acted properly for an emergency.
THE PD'S MAKE MISTAKES ALSO
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