CRITICAL ISSUES IN CINCINNATI 911 OPERATIONS THAT
“INCREASED THE RISK OF DEATH” TO KYLE PLUSH ON APRIL 10, 2018
Based on Forensic Review by industry experts:
John Melcher, former CEO of Harris County, Texas 9-1-1 Emergency Network
Dr. Michael Lyman, Professor Emeritus of Criminal Justice at Columbia College of Missouri

Issues

City of Cincinnati
Investigations

Apr 10, 2018
3:14:22
First Kyle Plush
Call to 911
(2:56 minutes)

•
•
•

Apr 10, 2018
•
3:34:59
Second Kyle
Plush Call to 911 •
(2:43 minutes)
•

Apr 10, 2018
3:26:52
Officers on
scene until
3:37:30 (on
scene 11
minutes)

•
•
•

Forensic Review by
Independent Experts

Operator followed standard
•
policies and operating
procedures
Operator actions consistent with •
training
Investigation closed and operator •
exonerated
•

Operator followed standard
•
policies and operating
procedures
Operator actions consistent with
training
•
Investigation closed and operator
exonerated
•
Officers followed standard
policies and operating
procedures
Officers’ actions consistent with
training
Investigation closed and officers
exonerated

•
•

Operator failed to share van’s
location as identified by geolocation technology
Operator misclassified call as
“unknown trouble”
Operator delayed entry in computer
system by 7 minutes
Operator failed to share critical
information with police re: Kyle’s
desperate need for help.
Operator inappropriately engaged
call device (TTY) for a deaf caller,
which muted her voice and reduced
volume of Kyle’s voice
Operator failed to replay call she
couldn’t hear, which provided Kyle’s
car make and model and location
Operator failed to contact police on
the scene about the second call
Officers never searched the north
end of the lot where Kyle’s van was
located.
Officers never engaged in-vehicle
computer to populate a map of
Kyle’s location.

 CINCINNATI CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSES QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS NOVEMBER 15, 2018 ON
KYLE PLUSH INVESTIGATION FOLLOWING INDEPENDENT STUDIES
Two independent investigations at a cost of more than $100,000 provide findings that
exonerate all call operators and officers.
Nov 15, 2018
Cincinnati
Council Meeting

Greg Landsman
“My frustration today is with the report, the questions that remain, the fact
that were key people who weren't interviewed, that we are not doing what we
all said we would do. Which is to just be as transparent as humanly possible, to
put it all out there.”
David Mann
“The responding officers knew that the incident involved a van. And I don’t
think we have an answer yet to the question why the officers – and maybe this
can come out of the interview that was going to be done with the officers What was their thinking that didn’t lead them to focus on a van?”
Chris Smitherman
“We are very interested in more interviews being done. I think that’s one of the
most important things – the take-aways. We really want the officers
interviewed… we wanted the call center – anyone involved to be specifically
interviewed.”
“You’re hearing a consistent chorus regarding having the consultants go back
and physically interview the officers that were on the scene, so that we are
confirming the internal investigation. And I would say the questions that
Councilmember Mann raised should be a part of that exchange with the
officers so we get a better understanding of what they were thinking and what
they saw when they arrived.”
P.G. Sittenfeld
“There was enough man-made failure in this instance that until that is down as
close to zero as possible, that should keep all of us up at night… There are a lot
of gaps left to be closed.”
“Could what happened on that day, could it happen again today? Could it
happen again tomorrow?”
Jayson Dunn (City’s Chief Technology Officer):
“It could.”