AndrewBlakeBrooklyn – Two New York Police Department (NYPD) officers were suspended after a delayed response to check on a young woman who was later found dead at the bottom of the stairs.
Barry Wells, the woman’s husband, faces charges in her death, the New York Daily News reported.
A source later said that the delay may have been caused because the officers weren’t given all of the information.
A person called 911 Dec. 27 and told police the victim Tonie Wells was screaming, “He’s going to kill me.”
Sources said Wells also called 911 about 9 a.m. Wednesday to report that she was in fear of her husband Barry Wells, 29, who was acting strangely.
Police officers Wing Hong Lau and Wael Jaber responded to the scene but didn’t leave their patrol vehicle.
“It’s messed up,” family friend Victor Brown told the New York Daily News. “If they would have done something ahead of time, this wouldn’t have happened.”
A high-ranking NYPD source told the newspaper the two officers received “incomplete information” when they were told to check on Wells. “The incomplete information may have caused a delay in the response,” the source said.
“In the end they never checked out the situation, but that’s not to say they would have been able to save her,” a police source said. “They decided to roll the dice and this is what happened.”
Police were again called to the residence when someone called 911 and said they heard Wells’ 2-year-old daughter screaming.
When the officers went in the residence, they found Wells’ body at the bottom of a basement staircase with bruises around her neck.
Police Commissioner James O’Neill suspended both 11-year veteran officers and launched an Internal Affairs investigation.
“I always speak to how proud I am of our officers, but unfortunately when we don’t live up to that standard we have to fully investigate,” Commissioner O’Neill said.