A TikTok video has sparked an internal investigation by Spartanburg Communications.
According to a release sent by Spartanburg 911, the department conducted an internal investigation into an incident where a 911 operator intentionally hung up the phone on Landrum resident Lindsey Stech as she attempted to report a random man lurking at her front door.
The viral video on TikTok recorded the encounter between Stech and the 911 operator. According to the video, Stech said she received a notification from her doorbell camera that something was at her door. Stech then said she saw a man carrying a flashlight. The man is visible in the video.
After she called law enforcement, a Landrum City police officer responded to the home but did not find a man on the property. Minutes later, the same man arrived at Stech’s door again. This prompted her to call 911 one more time.
During this call, the operator dismissed Stech’s claims of someone being outside and ended the phone call.
The officer later returned to Stech’s home and found the man in question. According to reports, the man was attempting to visit another woman.
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According to Spartanburg 911, the telecommunicator took further action after speaking with Stech the second time. The operator called the officer back, saying that the officer needed to return to the scene.
The operator also followed up with another call to the LPD officer as he spoke with Stech to ensure that he made contact with the man, Spartanburg 911 said.
“We acknowledge that this was not communicated to the caller at the time. Instead, the telecommunicator ended the call without informing the caller of the steps being taken on her behalf,” Spartanburg 911 said via the statement. “This lack of communication caused the caller and her family undue stress, and we deeply regret the negative impact this had on them.
“We have also been in communication with the Chief of Police of the municipality involved in this incident. They have assured us that their department is conducting its own independent investigation into the actions of the officer, and we are working collaboratively to address the concerns raised by this incident.
“We want to assure the public that we are taking swift and decisive personnel action with the telecommunicator involved. We remain committed to learning from this incident and taking the necessary steps to prevent similar situations in the future.”
In an earlier post, Spartanburg 911 apologized to the caller.
“First and foremost, we want to express our sincerest apologies to the caller involved,” according to the social media post. “We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of this individual, just as we are with all County residents who should trust they can call us when they need help. Ensuring the safety of our community is our highest priority, and we are committed to responding to all calls for service with professionalism and urgency.”
The Landrum City police department is also investigating the incident.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Spartanburg 911 operator ends call with woman, TikTok video shows