Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died FULL AUDIO

911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died FULL AUDIO

FromTrue Crime Podcast 2024 - REAL Police Interrogations, 911 Calls, True Police Stories and True Crime


911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died FULL AUDIO

FromTrue Crime Podcast 2024 - REAL Police Interrogations, 911 Calls, True Police Stories and True Crime

ratings:
Length:
23 minutes
Released:
Jan 6, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

911 dispatcher lectures drowning woman moments before she died FULL AUDIO



Police released disturbing audio of an Arkansas woman who called for help in the final moments of her life, drowning in her car, only to be met with mockery and disdain by the dispatcher.



Debbie Stevens, 47, was on her regular paper route in Fort Smith Saturday, Aug. 24 when a flash flood swept up her car. Panicking, she dialed 911.



"Please help me, I don't want to die!", Stevens begs on the call that lasted 22 minutes. "I can't swim! I'm scared! I'm going to drown!"



The dispatcher, Donna Reneau, who was working her final shift after giving her notice two weeks earlier according to the Fort Smith Police Department, replied flippantly telling her authorities will get there when they get there and that she's not going to die, at one point telling her to "shut up."



As the water slowly filled Stevens' SUV, she responded: "I'm scared. I've never had anything happen to me like this before."



Stevens pleaded for help and prayer but received a lecture: "Well this will teach you, next time don't drive in the water," Reneau responds. "I don't see how you didn't see it, you had to go right over it, so."



Authorities responded to the scene 12 minutes after she dialed 911, but because of the floodwaters, it took more than an hour to reach Stevens' vehicle -- and by the time police and firefighters were able to secure the car, Stevens had drowned.



Fort Smith Interim Police Chief Danny Baker described Reneau's response as "calloused and uncaring at times" in a statement, but he added to KHBS that she did nothing "criminally wrong" nor "violated policy."



"I completely understand the disgust and the concern that we all have," Baker said. "We all hope that we would get a little better response."
Released:
Jan 6, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

True Crime Podcast 2023 - REAL Police Interrogations, 911 Calls, True Police Stories and True Crime Investigations Best True Crime Stories Podcast 2023 Police Interrogations, True Crime Investigations and MORE! true crime is a nonfiction literary, podcast, and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people. The crimes most commonly include murder; about 40 percent focus on tales of serial killers