Josh Powell just blew up his house with his kids inside

[jay santos]

I hate to add more heart-wrenching info to this event, but apparently the caseworker was forced to plead with the 9-1-1 dispatcher FOR SEVEN MINUTES before they even sent the Sheriff. The tapes have been released but I can not and will not force myself to listen to them.

This whole Charlie Foxtrot is a chain of relatively small screw-ups that each served to enable a sadistic and disgusting murderer. I assume there will be a large outcry to remove the judge from the bench, and perhaps they will also look more closely into the protocols of 9-1-1.

A few years ago there was a somewhat similar incident with 9-1-1 in the neighboring county. A man 'snapped' and 'accidentally' stabbed his girlfriend's toddler with a steak knife. She called 9-1-1 asking for an ambulance. They were going to immediately send an ambulance, until they realized the man was still in the house, at which point they refused to call the ambulance.

They continued to question the woman, who was clutching her dying toddler and begging for help, but they deflected her questioning. They never explained to her that the EMTs are not allowed to enter the scene until the perpetrator was off the premises, and also that the cops are not allowed to enter the scene for the same reason.

Eventually the man walked out of the house and off the property. The ambulance, which was initially 3 minutes away, arrived about 27 minutes after the call and were unable to revive the child. Had they arrived a few minutes after the call the child would very likely have survived.

Asshole on the phone wastes at least a minute intentionally twisting her in her words and mocking her for not answering his questions right related to who is doing the visit and who is supervising.

[Eddie]

A few years ago there was a somewhat similar incident with 9-1-1 in the neighboring county. A man 'snapped' and 'accidentally' stabbed his girlfriend's toddler with a steak knife. She called 9-1-1 asking for an ambulance. They were going to immediately send an ambulance, until they realized the man was still in the house, at which point they refused to call the ambulance.

They continued to question the woman, who was clutching her dying toddler and begging for help, but they deflected her questioning. They never explained to her that the EMTs are not allowed to enter the scene until the perpetrator was off the premises, and also that the cops are not allowed to enter the scene for the same reason.

Eventually the man walked out of the house and off the property. The ambulance, which was initially 3 minutes away, arrived about 27 minutes after the call and were unable to revive the child. Had they arrived a few minutes after the call the child would very likely have survived.

Seriously? The cops are not allowed to enter the scene of an attempted murder so long as the attempted murderer is still on the premises?

What is up with that?

Are they also not allowed to enter banks as long as the bank robber is still there?

It sounds like that might be a swell community to commit a crime in - if the cops are not allowed to intervene.

[Indy Coug]

Seriously? The cops are not allowed to enter the scene of an attempted murder so long as the attempted murderer is still on the premises?

What is up with that?

Are they also not allowed to enter banks as long as the bank robber is still there?

It sounds like that might be a swell community to commit a crime in - if the cops are not allowed to intervene.

Just another sign of how incredibly risk-averse our society is. Containment seems to be more important than intervention.

[Eddie]

Just another sign of how incredibly risk-averse our society is. Containment seems to be more important than intervention.

But we aren't talking about containment if the police don't actually want the guy contained. They want him to leave the house.

Now - I understand not sending in the EMT's. They would be defenseless. No sense risking the lives of someone just trying to do their job.

I don't understand not sending the police. I don't understand the police not arriving within 27 minutes when the report is that there is a toddler bleeding to death and the SOB who stabbed the kid is there keeping the EMT's from saving the kid's life.

I do understand that domestic calls are the most dangerous situations a cop can find themselves in. I do understand that more cops are killed/injured responding to domestic calls than any other. So I understand being careful.

The reality is that, as dumb as it sounds, stories like this one are just one big advertisement for the NRA crazies who like to spout "The police aren't here to protect you. They are just here to investigate and get the facts after the attack is over. If you want to be protected, you'll have to buy a gun and do it yourself".

[EuropeanFootballMale]

The 911 guy did sound like a jerk, but I'm not really sure what he's supposed to do. I guarantee that the answer is not to dispatch the swat team at light speed every time someone calls 911.

[DU Ute]

Josh Powell Threatened His Mother With Knife, '90s-Era Court Documents Allege

[Parrot Head]

I hate to draw this thread out any further, but it looks like the dear members of Westboro Baptist Church want to protest at the boys' funeral. I'm not sure if they're part of the Southern Baptist Convention or what, but why wouldn't their chartering org kick them out?

Westboro Church threatens to picket Powell boys' funeral as anti-gay protest

[Jeff Lebowski]

I hate to draw this thread out any further, but it looks like the dear members of Westboro Baptist Church want to protest at the boys' funeral. I'm not sure if they're part of the Southern Baptist Convention or what, but why wouldn't their chartering org kick them out?

Westboro Church threatens to picket Powell boys' funeral as anti-gay protest

That's unbelievable. If there is in fact a Church of the Devil, then this is it.

[Green Monstah]

Westboro is an unaffiliated stand-alone church. If it were my nephews funeral, I cant imagine being able to restrain myself.

[NorthwestUteFan]

Fred Phelps is compensating for something. I wish he wouldn't just obey the Greatest Commandment, and love one another as Jesus did.

Hopefully we will see some signs like these as a counter protest: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-3...est-s?s=mobile

[Green Monstah]

Fred Phelps is compensating for something. I wish he wouldn't just obey the Greatest Commandment, and love one another as Jesus did.

Hopefully we will see some signs like these as a counter protest: http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-3...est-s?s=mobile

I'd like to see a counterprotest with more ass whooping, quite frankly. These people are vile and disgusting. (insert first amendment counter argument here)

[Jeff Lebowski]

It seems that every time I turn on the TV or the radio, the Cox grandparents are doing another national interview. Frankly, I find that odd. I wonder why they agree to every interview at a time like this.

[creekster]

It seems that every time I turn on the TV or the radio, the Cox grandparents are doing another national interview. Frankly, I find that odd. I wonder why they agree to every interview at a time like this.

Same here. I was shocked to see them on TV the morning after the fire. I cant imagine doing that.

[NorthwestUteFan]

I'd like to see a counterprotest with more ass whooping, quite frankly. These people are vile and disgusting. (insert first amendment counter argument here)

Hopefully some of the Patriot Guard Riders guys will show up. I have to admit I would allow myself a bit of schadenfreude if the slackjawed inbreeds of the Westboro clan (the adults only, of course) got a Hells Angels-style beatdown.

Also, I hope a sympathetic hacker changes Josh Powell's webpage to reflect the actual truth.

[Indy Coug]

It seems that every time I turn on the TV or the radio, the Cox grandparents are doing another national interview. Frankly, I find that odd. I wonder why they agree to every interview at a time like this.

Probably a coping mechanism of sorts.