PITTSBURGH — Three police officers killed while answering a call about a woman fighting with her son didn’t know the man had weapons. A 911 operator did, but she didn’t tell anyone.
The operator, who was hired in November, should have asked for more information and didn’t relay even the basic information she had to police dispatchers, the official in charge of county dispatchers said Tuesday. She is now on paid administrative leave and is receiving counseling because supervisors are concerned about her well-being.
The three officers killed Saturday morning will be honored at a memorial service Thursday. Alleged shooter Richard Poplawski, 22, is under close observation at the Allegheny County Jail on criminal homicide, attempted homicide and other charges, said Warden Ramon Rustin.
Robert Full, Allegheny County Chief of Emergency Services, said the 911 operator is too distraught to be interviewed, so officials don’t fully understand why she didn’t press for more information about the guns. She apparently inferred the weapons weren’t a factor because her conversation with the mother was casual and because Poplawski didn’t report being threatened, he said.
He said she had shown “tremendous aptitude,” but made a “definite error” in her handling of Saturday’s call.
“If we were told there were weapons in the house, we should have told that to the police officers,” Full said.
When officers arrived at the house, Margaret Poplawski opened the door for them. She later told police that she didn’t know that her 22-year-old son was standing behind her with a gun.
Police say Richard Poplawski shot officer Paul Sciullo II, 37, in the home and officer Stephen Mayhle, 29, on the front stoop within seconds. He then shot officer Eric Kelly, 41, in the street as he arrived to back them up, prompting a four-hour siege and gunbattle with police, authorities said.
Poplawski was wearing a bulletproof vest and was armed with a variety of weapons, including an AK-47 assault rifle, although police have declined to say what kind of weapon he used to kill the officers.
According to the two-minute recording of Saturday morning’s call played for a reporter, Margaret Poplawski sounded impatient as she asked for police to come take her son out of the house.
“Does he have any weapons or anything?” the 911 operator asked.
“Yes,” the mother said. After a long pause, she added, “They’re all legal.”
“OK, but he’s not threatening you with anything?” the operator said.
Without answering, Margaret Poplawski mother said, “Look, I’m just waking up from a sleep. I want him gone.”
“OK, we’ll send ‘em over, OK?” the operator said.
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