The Elgin, Illinois Police Department is investigating whether its 911 operators and possibly police officers believed a call from a 19-year-old man who had been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a car was a prank, Elgin police said SaturdaySteeves made a frantic cell phone call to 911 shortly after 9 p.m., in which he told the operator he was locked in the trunk of a car and believed he was somewhere in Elgin.
A recording of the call released by police Friday indicates Steeves called twice, the first time telling the operator he was in his mother's 1997 Toyota Corolla, and pleading for police to come to South Street, before he was cut off.
When the operator called back, Steeves, sounding panicked, gave his name and said he was in the car's trunk, before the call was again disconnected.
When the 911 call taker gave Police the dispatch their comment was, “Call taker thinks it could be a prank but isn't definite on it," according to the recording.
Elgin Community College student David Steeves was found shot to death in the trunk of his mother's car in Rockford a week later.Two men, Armin V. Henderson, 25, and Robert Guyton, 23, have been charged with 27 counts of first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and armed robbery in his death.
Would the student still be alive if the 911 operator would have taken the call seriously? Story here.
Posted by: caveman | June 10, 2005 at 09:45 AM
Posted by: anonymous | June 10, 2005 at 12:21 AM