home

Albuquerque Police Ignored 911 Calls; Settle Suit After Murder-Suicide

When government entities or private companies (particularly insurance companies) (cough*Allstate*cough) adopt a blanket "we won't settle this kind of claim" policy, they usually say their intent is to discourage frivolous litigation. In many cases, the true intent is to discourage all litigation, legitimate or otherwise. Many victims with legitimate claims won't pursue them if they know they'll have to go to trial. Sometimes -- if the "no settlements" policy is recommended by a law firm that happens to represent the company or agency -- the intent is to assure more billable hours for the firm.

Albuquerque follows a "no settlement" policy with regard to claims of police misconduct. Perhaps the city believes its officers are incapable of using excessive force or engaging in other civil rights violations. It's more likely the city takes a tough stance to discourage claims.

Albuquerque made an exception this week by settling a lawsuit alleging that the police ignored four 911 calls, and that an off-duty police officer refused a request to assist, resulting in the death of a 21-year-old woman who was murdered by her estranged boyfriend, a Los Alamos County firefighter. [more ...]

On July 7, 2006, [Randi] Regensberg's friends called 911 and reported that a neighbor had seen Regensberg dragged into [Cory] Kotrba's home. They told dispatchers that the back door was blocked by a table, adding that Kotrba had guns and that Regensberg, who was six months' pregnant, was being held against her will. Friends also told dispatchers there was a history of violence between the two.

But dispatchers kept telling the friends no officers were available to take the call, which wasn't classified top priority, police have said.

While the friends kept calling 911 from the outside of the home, one of them noticed a police car parked in the driveway just a few blocks away and knocked on the door. The police officer, [Hector] Chavez, who was also named in the family's lawsuit, told the female friend there was nothing he could do because he was off duty. He also refused to make a phone call to 911 to have an officer sent out sooner, the family's lawsuit claimed.

Four calls later, an hour-and-a-half after the first call, the police finally dispatched an officer. But that happened only because the fifth call came from the estranged boyfriend's roommate, who called to report a murder-suicide after finding the dead bodies in his residence.

Without admitting liability, the city settled for $685,000. City lawyers claimed the "no settlement" policy didn't apply because the lawsuit addressed "systemic issues" rather than excessive force.

The city also made changes in its handling of 911 calls, including "different rules for what constitutes a priority call." Presumably a report of a woman being dragged against her will into a private residence by an armed and violent ex-boyfriend is now recognized as a priority.

< Judges Send Kids to Detention In Exchange For Kickbacks | 'Beatrice 6' Exonerated >
  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


  • Display: Sort:
    actually, (none / 0) (#1)
    by cpinva on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 02:15:28 AM EST
    that's pretty cheap, and i bet the insurance company covered it, not the taxpayers. the city's policy is proving to be a money saver, i'd bet.

    insurance (none / 0) (#2)
    by rea on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 07:45:31 AM EST
    i bet the insurance company covered it, not the taxpayers.

    Most cities the size of Albuquerque re self-insured.

    A "no settlement" policy... (none / 0) (#3)
    by kdog on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 08:19:13 AM EST
    for police misconduct ain't all bad...usually when localities offer a monetary settlement to the victims of the police arm of the "police and thieves" fighting the nation, it comes with no admission of wrong doing.  At least when these things go to trial the misconduct is properly offcically aired, and it is on the record.

    And it does prevent the people who file erroneous lawsuits from profiting from it.  When I was erroneaously sued over an auto accident, my insurance company refused to settle...we went to trial and the jury found me 100% not at fault...the con-artist got zip.   Though the "cheaper to settle than fight" argument makes sense in matters of time and money, it is awful for justice when innocent parties settle.

    Though I do see how it might discourage people from making minor claims...then again, minor claims are often not properly investigated and pushed under the rug...discouragement enough.

    Domestic violence (none / 0) (#4)
    by Lil on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 10:36:27 AM EST
    is domestic terrorism. Imagine being a victim of DV and calling 911 and no one shows up, or they show up and arrest you too, or they show up and say they are not going to show up again, because they are sick of getting calls from this house, etc. It happens repeatedly and everyday all across the country. Unfortunately, this changes when there's a homicide or a law suit.

    ABQ residents are well aware of that kind of (none / 0) (#5)
    by thereyougo on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 03:20:17 PM EST
    treatment by law enforcement for domestic violence involving women. Women should carry guns and off those idiots abusing them.

    wrong (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Lil on Thu Jan 29, 2009 at 07:53:03 PM EST
    the women's jails are filled with battered women who fought back.

    Parent