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Allegations Of Dispatcher Error Raised In Federal Lawsuit

Today’s post was shared by The Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group and comes from www.courant.com

HARTFORD — A dispatcher and two police officers deprived a shooting victim of his civil rights by not properly responding to reports of the gunfire that killed him last summer, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court.

Valentin Santos Jr. was fatally shot on the night of Aug. 12. A dispatcher gave out the wrong address for the shooting, and two officers who were rerouted to the right address didn’t see Santos. He was discovered the next morning.

“It’s very disturbing,” said attorney James S. Brewer, who represents the plaintiff, Santos’ father.

The suit, filed Friday, names the two officers, Kory A. Ouellette and William Smith III. Smith has since resigned after releasing a prisoner wanted by Rocky Hill police.

The suit also names the dispatcher, Jennifer Martinez; Police Chief James Rovella; the city of Hartford; and the former head of telecommunications, Andrew Jaffee, who was fired later in the summer for an ongoing series of missteps by dispatchers.

Referring to the defendants’ conduct as “deliberately indifferent,” the suit asks for a trial by jury. The case has been assigned to Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport.

Police had no comment.

According to the lawsuit, several residents in the area of Linnmoore and Mountain streets called 911 after hearing multiple gunshots and a vehicle racing away.

Martinez picked up the first call, but she failed to get the caller’s correct address, the suit alleges….

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