911 Investigation Continues After Atlanta Student's Death
Recordings show dispatchers accidentally canceled the firefighter-paramedics who were on the way to that call.
ATLANTA --
Channel 2 learned new information Monday about the death of a Mays High School student who went into cardiac arrest in October. The Atlanta Police Department released the 911 recordings, which show dispatchers accidentally canceled the firefighter-paramedics who were on the way to that call.
Channel 2's Jodie Fleischer said, according to the records, it appears Atlanta 911 dispatchers meant only to cancel the police response because there were already resource officers at the school. But instead, they also canceled the fire truck and paramedics, who were desperately needed 20 minutes later when the student was in cardiac arrest.
The 911 tape released Monday shows desperate pleas from a Mays High School teacher who was trying to help 16-year-old Antoine Williams, who went unconscious in class on Oct. 14. The teacher called 911. "Antoine, can you hear me? Antoine wake up," the teacher can be heard pleading.
"He's breathing but I hear moaning," said the teacher. Then she asks the 911 dispatcher if she can hear the moans over the phone and the dispatcher said she could.
Atlanta 911 immediately dispatched police and paramedic fire engine 36 at 3:21 p.m. Grady 911 dispatched a CARE ambulance, which arrived within eight minutes. But the fire unit with two extra paramedics still wasn't there 26 minutes later when Antoine Williams went into cardiac arrest.
"CARE 1, CARE 1, we need Atlanta Fire over at this high school, Benjamin Mays. We need Atlanta Fire immediately," a dispatcher can be heard on the call.
Channel 2 has learned why the fire crew wasn't already there. Nine minutes into the call, just as the engine was arriving at the school, they heard, "Engine 36, cancel your call."
At 3:29 p.m. the dispatcher canceled the paramedic engine. He was only supposed to cancel the police units after a phone call confirmed school resource officers were already there. Grady 911, the lead agency on the call, never knew the fire paramedics were canceled and then re-dispatched. They arrived 35 minutes after the initial call and inserted a tube to help Antoine breathe, but he later died.
Students said when Antoine first got sick, he grabbed his chest and yelled, "My heart." Standard care for a cardiac call usually requires four paramedics or EMTs.
Atlanta 911 has been investigating this since Channel 2 started asking questions in October. The director has promised an answer on Wednesday.
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