Kevin McQueen, a 42 year old Cleveland man was dying from a gunshot wound, when police pulled over the car he was headed to the hospital in.
Police audio from that night pieces together the exact timing of when McQueen’s car was pulled over until when it arrived at the hospital.
According to the audio, correspondence between police and dispatchers, it was roughly seven minutes from the time McQueen’s car was pulled over until they were allowed to continue on to the hospital.
“Got shots fired… sounds like someone got hit by a gunshot,” you can hear police saying over the radio.
The early morning hours of September 15th are all caught on police dispatch audio.
RELATED | Family wants to know if traffic stop by police prevented gunshot victim from getting to hospital
“She said that they made them get out the van and made them law on the ground she said for a good 15 minutes if it wasn’t 20 that they laid there and they searched them. They went to the van and they searched my son,” said Pearl Murphy, McQueen’s mother.
McQueen’s family and friends insist the Cleveland Police Department wasted precious time, when officers pulled over the car transporting a shot and dying McQueen to the hospital.
“20-25 minutes, because you’ve got to run everybody’s name, you’ve got to run the van name,” said Monique Golson, McQueen’s lifelong friend who drove him to the ER.
There’s a different story though, heard in the audio recordings obtained by News 5.
“Send EMS here,” you hear on officer at the scene of the traffic stop say.
Immediately, the officers that pulled McQueen’s car over on the way to the hospital call for EMS. One minute later, they radio in McQueen’s injuries and again, urge EMS to arrive quickly.
“It’s going to be a 38 year old male, he’s shot, it looks like in the left side of his chest. He is conscious, breathing; EMS needs to step it up though,” said the officer.
Six minutes later, over the radio, officers are heard telling the dispatcher the van has gone on to the Emergency Room at Metro Health.
“They’re coming up to the ER entrance … with a gunshot wound,” said an officer.
MORE | Driver says CPD made her wait several minutes before letting her take dying friend to the ER
A total traffic stop time of roughly seven minutes. A far cry from the 20 McQueen’s family and friends’ claimed.
Cleveland Police issued this response to claims being made by McQueen’s friends and family:
"Officers responded to a call for shots fired and saw a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed from the area. The vehicle was stopped and as this was a felony investigation, occupants of the vehicle were checked for officer safety. Officers learned that the victim had been shot. they immediately called for EMS and began to administer first aid to the victim. A short time later, the decision was made to take the victim to the hospital in the vehicle he was already in. the man died at the hospital.
· EMS was requested immediately
· First aid was rendered immediately
· Officers began the drive to the hospital within 7 minutes of being on scene, not 15-20 as alleged in the story
· Other occupants were being checked by additional officers on scene – this did not interfere with the rendering of first aid to the victim.
· The officers clearly followed the Medical Trauma Response GPO, going above and beyond in that they called for EMS, administered first aid, conveyed the man to the hospital and even carried him into the trauma bay (see page 2, section B)."
- Sergeant Jennifer Ciaccia
Cleveland Division of Police
