A Winnipeg woman is sharing her story of calling 911 in hopes that a similar incident won’t happen to others.
Angela Chalmers said a month ago on June 18 she was woken up by her dog Loki barking and growling from the top of the stairs at around 6am
She said he wouldn’t stop, so she got out of bed to check what was going on.
“I got halfway down the stairs and saw there was a man, a stranger, laying on my couch,” Chalmers said.
She said she immediately grabbed her dog, woke up her roommate and they quickly barricaded themselves in the closet and called 911.
Chalmers said calling the police made the situation even scarier.
“The dispatcher was friendly and courteous on the phone. But we were told the police were busy that night so it would take some time,” she said. “As time went on and the police were not responding, the dispatcher told us that since the police were busy, maybe we could take matters into our own hands and would it be convenient for us to go downstairs to wake the man up ourselves?”
Chalmers said he thought the offer was “insane” and refused and continued to wait for the police.
“A little over 20 minutes later, the police finally arrived and it took four officers to get this guy out of my house,” she said, noting that if she had followed the dispatcher’s instructions, the situation could have been much worse.
“It could have ended disastrously.”
The incident also brought back memories of when Chalmers lived in Vancouver 12 years ago and two people broke into her home.
“It was a case of mistaken identity. They were trying to find the person who lived in the apartment before me. And when they realized they were the wrong person, they tied me up and talked right in front of me about what they were going to do, and they decided, because I saw their faces, that they were going to kill me.”
She said she was left for dead and only survived because her neighbor heard what happened and called 911. Paramedics were able to revive her, but she continues to deal with disability from that event to this day.
Having been through a similar situation before, it really made Chalmers question why this was the advice she was given by the 911 dispatcher.
“I wonder if they would give that kind of advice to a friend, or a mother, or a child. They need to remember that the person calling is calling because they need help,” she said. “Inappropriate, dangerous advice that could escalate the situation is not helpful.”
Winnipeg police said in a statement to CTV News that the incident was being reviewed and said the person who took the call had been given feedback on how to handle the call, adding that they “departed from standard practice” to parts of the call.
“The communications center department manager will be contacting the victim of this incident to discuss the matter,” police said.
Police added response times can vary depending on the urgency of the incident and what time of day it occurs, and said that for this incident, police were dispatched promptly.
Chalmers said when the police finally arrived, they were extremely helpful and apologetic, especially after learning about the previous invasion she had been through in Vancouver.
“I feel like they went out of their way to make sure I was OK, and I appreciate the way they treated me,” she said.
She then learned that she and her roommate had forgotten to lock the door to their Early Gray home, so the man had gotten inside.
She said something like this can happen to anyone, even those who live in a safe community like she thinks she does.
Chalmers said they didn’t press charges because there was no damage to the home and nothing was stolen, adding she thinks the man needs help more than anything else and charges won’t make his situation better.
By sharing her story, she hopes changes will be made so that people in the future don’t have to deal with a similar situation if they ever need to call 911.
Add Comment