CLEVELAND — News 5 Investigators are getting answers about how Cleveland police respond to emergencies after the brutal killing of a mother of four.
Carly Capek died in a violent attack inside her house on W. 78th street last week. Calvin Nettles is charged with her murder.
"We need the police, we need the police,” said one 911 caller.
There’s a sense of desperation, fear and frustration in several 911 calls last Tuesday afternoon.
“I'm still here, I know, but EMS is much more important, we're all going to come,” said one dispatcher.
“Call the f'*** police! We need the police!” shouted a caller.
The caller repeats the address of Carly Capek’s home.
"Listen, I already have help started, OK? Do you know if he is still in there?" the dispatcher said during the call.
"Yeah he is, I hear him banging and glass breaking,” said the caller.
A different neighbor calls minutes later.
"I need the police,” he said. “A guy choked and is beating the girl in the house behind me."
Calls continued into dispatch.
"Somebody needs to get there fast. I mean really fast, that girl's probably dead,” she said.
“OK, we're getting police out there as soon as the next unit is available. They are on their way, ma'am,” said the dispatcher.
One caller said she reached out five times.
"The girl in the back, I think she's dead. Oh my god how long does it take for the f**** police to come?" the caller said.
Capek was beaten, bitten and slashed, according to her mother and neighbors who say police took too long to show up.
News 5 Investigators are trying to get the exact time police were called and arrived.
All day Tuesday, we asked police for an interview about response times. That interview did not happen.
We followed up Wednesday and stopped by the scheduled public safety meeting at city hall.
Safety Director Karrie Howard said he wouldn’t talk about this specific case but would answer just two of our general questions.
We asked what the standard response is for a priority one call.
"So it's prioritized as it comes through dispatch and the appropriate division should respond immediately,” said Howard.
Howard says the nearest and most available officer should respond.
We asked Howard if there should be a specific time for a response.
"It can't be specific. Times depend on location and depend on what the officer might be wrapping up or headed to as well,” said Howard.
He says officers can divert from a priority two call but distance also plays a role.
Howard confirmed that an investigation is underway, something that was called for by Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb.
“It's under investigation by internal affairs,” Howard said when asked if the case is under investigation.
We have requests out to police for specific response times and also to speak with EMS.
Nettles is expected in court next week.
RELATED: Mayor Bibb asks for internal investigation of response times in woman's killing
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