Read The Text Of The Saheed Vassell 911 Calls

CROWN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — Police have released transcripts of 911 calls that sent NYPD officers racing toward Saheed Vassell, a man they mistakenly believed was pointing a gun at strangers.

“I tell you he have gun in hand,” one 911 caller said Wednesday afternoon. “I just want you to know.”

Vassell, a 34-year-old father whose family said suffered from bipolar disorder, was shot moments later on the corner of Montgomery Street and Utica Avenue by cops who believed the metal pipe he pointed at them was a loaded weapon, said police.

Vassell died after police fired 10 rounds at the unarmed man and, almost immediately, family, friends, neighbors and city officials began demanding a full investigation.

"They murdered my son and I want justice for him," said Lorna Vassell, the dead man's mother, at a rally Thursday night. "They had no right to shoot him down."

Police responded by releasing surveillance footage of Vassell — which shows him pointing the metal pipe at several people — and transcripts of excerpts from 911 calls on Thursday.

On Friday, they released the complete transcripts of three 911 calls emergency responders received Wednesday afternoon.

The first caller tells the 911 dispatcher that she is in her laundromat and she can see Vassell outside pointing what she identified as a gun, the transcript shows.

But the second caller says that it "looks like a gun" and clarifies that "he’s not pulling a trigger." Moments later, she tells the 911 dispatcher police have arrived and begun shooting.

"I don’t have if it’s a gun or not ... but I called the cops," she says. "Hell yeah I called the cops."

The third 911 call ends with screaming and unintelligible crying.

The dispatcher responds, "Ma'am, Ma'am?"

TRANSCRIPT ONE

Dispatcher: New York City 911, do you need police, fire or medical?
911 Caller: I calling from (number redacted) Utica Avenue.
Dispatcher: (Number redacted) DeKalb?
911 Caller: Utica
Dispatcher: (Number redacted) Utica Avenue?
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: Alright ma’am what are your cross streets there?
911 Caller: Cross street?
Dispatcher: Yes
911 Caller: Crown and Comb
Dispatcher: Carrol and Crown?
911 Caller: Yes (unintelligible) see a guy and possible he has a (unintelligible) gun (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Hold on ma’am, what location is this? A private house? A business?
911 Caller: My is (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Laundromat and what’s going on there?
911 Caller: Nothing wrong, I see the friend that one guy and black guy see holding a gun (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: He has a gun ma’am? He has a gun?
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: Yes, he’s inside your store or outside?
911 Caller: No, No, No, outside, outside, outside
Dispatcher: Outside of your store?
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: Ok, location is a laundromat and he’s outside of your store right?
911 Caller: Yeah, he have gun and (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Where is the gun? Where is it?
911 Caller: His hand
Dispatcher: In his hand?
911 Caller: Black jacket and jean, ok?
Dispatcher: What is he wearing ma’am? What is he wearing?
911 Caller: (Unintelligible) jacket
Dispatcher: He’s wearing a black jacket? Help is on the way just.
911 Caller: (Unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Ma’am, what is he wearing?
911 Caller: Blonde jacket
Dispatcher: A brown jacket? Is he a male black? Black? White? Hispanic?
911 Caller: He’s black
Dispatcher: A male black and he’s wearing a brown jacket and what color jeans?
911 Caller: Blue jeans
Dispatcher: Blue jeans
911 Caller: Hmmm
Dispatcher: And you’re saying the gun is in his hand ma’am?
911 Caller: Yes, you can come (unintelligible) come to my store, I tell him (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am, does he have any tattoos?
911 Caller: I don’t know.
Dispatcher: What color is his hair?
911 Caller: Hair black
Dispatcher: Hair is black short hair? Is it like a short cut?
911 Caller: O, I don’t know (unintelligible) come to (number redacted) Utica, ask for (name redacted), ok? (Name redacted) has a picture.
Dispatcher: That’s your name? (name redacted)?
911 Caller: Yes, I’m (name redacted)
Dispatcher: And what’s the number that you’re calling from ma’am?
911 Caller: (Phone number redacted)
Dispatcher: (Phone number redacted) is that correct ma’am?
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: Are there any injuries? Is he firing the gun?
911 Caller: I don’t know (unintelligible) I tell you he have gun in hand and now there is a lot of cops in my first floor (unintelligible).
Dispatcher: Did you hear any shots miss? Did you hear any shots?
911 Caller: I don’t hear nothing, I’m inside the laundromat. I just want you to know, if you want to see the guy picture, you can come to my store.
Dispatcher: Alright ma’am, assistance will be there as soon as possible, I’m operator (number redacted)
911 Caller: Ok, no problem.
Dispatcher: Ok.

TRANSCRIPT TWO

Dispatcher: New York City 911, do you need police, fire or medical?
911 Caller: Police
Dispatcher: What’s the address?
911 Caller: It looks, it’s on the street, the guy is walking, the closest address that I can see is 356 Utica Avenue in Brooklyn.
Dispatcher: 356 Utica Avenue? What is the streets that in between?
911 Caller: In between Powell and I cannot see the other two, I think its Crown.
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am what is the emergency?
911 Caller: There is a guy walking around. He looks like he is crazy but he’s pointing something at people that looks like a gun and he’s like popping it like he’s pulling the trigger. He’s not pulling a trigger but he’s making a motion as if he is and there is something sticking out of his jacket.
Dispatcher: Ok, is anybody injured?
911 Caller: Nobody is injured
Dispatcher: Ok, give me one second. Ok help is on the way, I just have a few more questions, ok?
911 Caller: Aha
Dispatcher: You said it looks like a gun?
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: Ok, the male is he white, black, Hispanic, Indian or Asian?
911 Caller: He’s Black (unintelligible)
Dispatcher: How old does he look?
911 Caller: He looks in his late 30’s.
Dispatcher: And what was he wearing today?
911 Caller: It looks like a beige-sh brownish jacket
Dispatcher: Ok, what kind of pants?
911 Caller: Ummm, I didn’t catch his pants. I’m trying to see if I can still see him.
Dispatcher: You didn’t catch the pants?
911 Caller: No
Dispatcher: Alright, the police is on their way, I’m going to connect you to EMS so we can send you some help. Ok? Stay on the line for me.
911 Caller: Ok
Dial tone, phone ringing,
EMS Dispatcher: EMS (number redacted)
Dispatcher: (number redacted), (number redacted) I have (unintelligible) in Brooklyn, the job number is (redacted). Caller is on the line
EMS Dispatcher: (number redacted) thank you. Hello caller?
911 Caller: Hello
EMS Dispatcher: I want to make sure; this is for 356 Utica Avenue in Brooklyn?
911 Caller: Yes, well its not there, the guy is walking in the street and I’m in my car
EMS Dispatcher: Ok, what is he wearing?
911 Caller: He’s wearing like a beige jacket, I can’t even, I was so focused on the stupidness he was doing. He was (pause), oh my god. (Name redacted), (Name redacted), lay down, lay down, baby, stay in there.
Dispatcher: Is he shooting ma’am?
911 Caller: Ok shots fired, so I’m going in my car.
EMS Dispatcher: Ok, stay in your car, be safe, ok?
911 Caller: Yes
EMS Dispatcher: Did you see if anybody got shot ma’am?
911 Caller: The cops are there. There is a car, I don’t know, somebody fired shot but I know the cops are there. The cops, the cops are here, a lot of cops are here. Let me grab my daughter, my daughter is in the street. Come, come over here. Come, you’ll didn’t see the crazy guy? You’ll didn’t see the guy? He was walking up the, he (unintelligible) like he was pulling the gun, he was (unintelligible) the whole time here.
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller: The same guy, I called the cops, the same guy. I just called the cops because I saw him doing it to like five people in the street. It’s not the gun.
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller: He did it to like three people.
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller : Yeah
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller: Probably
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller: He’s pulled it like it’s a gun, yeah
Question from unknown individual: (Inaudible)
911 Caller: I’m sitting in a car here, I’m watching the guy, he’s crossing the street and putting it in people’s face like it’s a gun and pulling his hat, he’s doing some (unintelligible) and pulling it back, like he’s making a trigger sign and people is like ducking and like trying to avoid because they’re thinking it’s a gun. There is something hanging out of his jacket. I’m like oh my god, I don’t have if it’s a gun or not, I don’t know you know but I called the cops, hell yeah I called the cops.
Dispatcher: Ma’am is somebody injured? Do you see anybody injured?
911 Caller: I can’t see because I’m in my car and the cops are blocking the street all down the block but I did hear a lot of shots fired.
Dispatcher: How many shots did you hear?
911 Caller: Like seven
Dispatcher: Hello?
911 Caller: Hello?
Dispatcher: What’s your last name ma’am?
911 Caller: (Name redacted)
Dispatcher: Ok
Dispatcher: What’s your phone number ma’am?
911 Caller: My phone number is (phone number redacted)
Dispatcher: (Phone number redacted)
911 Caller: Aha
EMS Dispatcher: Alright ma’am keep yourself safe, if you see anything else, let us know, ok?
911 Caller: Thank you, aha
ESM Dispatcher: Thank you
Dispatcher: Thank you, bye bye

TRANSCRIPT THREE

Dispatcher: NYC 9-1-1. Do you need police, fire?
911 Caller: Hi I’m walking on Utica Avenue in the direction to yeah walking away from Eastern Parkway towards Empire Boulevard. There’s a guy in a brown jacket walking around pointing I don’t know what is he’s pointing at people’s faces. I don’t know what if it is if it’s a gun. It’s silver.
Dispatcher: You said Utica Avenue and Eastern Parkway?
911 Caller: I’m walking in the direction towards Empire Boulevard
Dispatcher: So Empire Boulevard?
911 Caller: Right I’m walking on Utica in direction towards Empire Boulevard. I’m between Carroll and
(Unintelligible Dispatcher/Caller audio overlapping)
911 Caller: I’m sorry.
(Unintelligible Dispatcher/Caller overlapping)
911 Caller: He’s an African American guy. He has on a brown jacket.
Dispatcher: Brown jacket?
911 Caller: Right
He’s pointing a thing in people’s faces he’s wearing blue jeans and black and white sneakers a black hat
Dispatcher: (Unintelligible)
911 Caller: Right. He’s almost to the corner of Crown Avenue
(Unintelligible Dispatcher/Caller Overlapping)
911 Caller: He’s pointing a silver thing in a lady’s face.
Dispatcher: Is it a gun?
911 Caller: I don’t know if it’s a gun ma’am. It seems like a gun. It’s silver.
Dispatcher: One second
911 Caller: (Unintelligible)
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am help is on the way. I just have a few more questions. Is he dark skinned?
911 Caller: No problem ma’am He’s dark
Dispatcher: He’s dark skinned. Slim, medium build or heavy set?
911 Caller: He’s slim
Dispatcher: And what direction is he heading?
911 Caller: He’s just crossed Carroll Avenue. He’s walking on Utica next it would be Montgomery then it would be Empire Boulevard.
Dispatcher: So he’s headed toward Utica Avenue and then?
911 Caller: No, he’s walking on Utica itself and the next corner would be Montgomery and the next corner after that would be Empire Boulevard. He’s walking on Utica between Montgomery and Crown right now as we speak.
Dispatcher: He’s walking on Utica between Montgomery and Carroll?
911 Caller: Crown, Crown. He’s about maybe two more steps from the corner of Montgomery right now.
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am. Again, he’s a male black wearing a brown jacket, blue jeans, black and white sneakers, a black hat and he’s slim and he’s dark skinned
911 Caller: Yes
Dispatcher: And how tall is he?
911 Caller: He’s maybe he’s about 5’5/5’6
Dispatcher: He’s 5’5/5’6”?
911 Caller: Right now he’s walking down to Montgomery so he’s between Utica and Schenectady.
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am is there anyone injured?
911 Caller: I’m sorry. No one is injured. He’s just pointing it in they face and he’s walking back
Dispatcher: And he’s pointing a gun?
911 Caller: He’s coming back He’s coming back! He’s crossing the street. (Unintelligible).
Dispatcher: Ok ma’am help is on the way
911 Caller: Oh my God.
Dispatcher: He’s pointing it at people’s backs?
911 Caller: Yes ma’am, Yes ma’am.
Dispatcher: And you said it was silver?
911 Caller: (Screaming/Crying unintelligible).
Dispatcher: Ma’am Ma’am?

Photo courtesy of NYPD