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Transcript of the 911 call in the Gates case

E-mail|Link|Comments () July 27, 2009 02:55 PM

An edited transcript of the 911 call that began the Gates affair.

Dispatcher: Tell me exactly what happened

Caller: Umm, I don’t know what’s happening. I just have an elder woman, uh, standing here and she had noticed two gentlemen trying to get in a house at that number, 17 Ware St., and they kind of had to barge in. And they broke the screen door and they finally got in and when I had looked, I went further, closer to the house a little bit, after the gentlemen were already in the house, I noticed two suitcases So I’m not sure if these are two individuals who actually work there, I mean who live there.

Dispatcher: You think they might’ve been breaking...

Caller: I don’t know, ‘cause I have no idea, I just noticed...

Dispatcher: So you think the possibility might have been there or...? What do you mean by barged in? Did they kick the door in or...?

Caller: Umm, no they were pushing the door in, like uhhh, ummm, like the screen part of the front door was kind of like cut.

Dispatcher: How did they open the door itself, the lock?

Caller: I didn’t see a key or anything ‘cause I was a little bit away from the door but I did notice that they pushed their...

Dispatcher: And what did the suitcases have to do with anything?

Caller: I don’t know. I’m just saying that’s what I saw. I just [inaudible]

Dispatcher: Do you know what apartment they broke into?

Caller: No, just the first floor. I don’t even think that it’s an apartment. It’s 17 Ware St. It’s a house. It’s a yellow house. Number 17. I don’t know if they live there and they just had a hard time with their key, but I did notice that they had to use their shoulder to try to barge in and they got in. I don’t know if they had a key or not ‘cause I couldn’t see from my angle. But you know when I looked a little closely that’s when I saw...

Dispatcher: (inaudible) black or Hispanic? Are they still in the house?

Caller: They’re still in the house I believe, yeah.

Dispatcher: Are they white, black or Hispanic?

Caller: Umm, well there were two larger men, one looked kind of Hispanic, but I’m not really sure. And the other one entered and I didn’t see what he looked like at all. I just saw it from a distance and this older woman was worried, thinking someone’s breaking in someone’s house, they’ve been barging in, and she interrupted me, and that’s when I had noticed. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it at all, to be honest with you. So I was just calling ‘cause she was a concerned neighbor, I guess.

Dispatcher: OK, are you standing outside?

Caller: I’m standing outside, yes.

Dispatcher: All right, well, police are on the way, you can meet them when they get there. What’s your name?

Caller: My name is [deleted].

Dispatcher: All right, they’re on their way.

Caller: OK, all right, I guess I’ll wait. Thanks.