Fire chief: 'Unforgivable' for 911 dispatcher to hang up on friend of dying teen

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- As a 17-year-old lay dying after being shot last month, an Albuquerque 911 dispatcher hung up on the friend who called for help. After the dispatcher resigned Tuesday, his former boss, Albuquerque Fire Chief David Downey, spoke out about his actions.

"It was outlandish. Unforgivable. You cannot call 911 and be treated like that. You can't do it," Downey told ABC affiliate KOAT.

In the call, 17-year-old Esperanza Quintero swore at the dispatcher while trying to help her friend, Jaydon Chavez-Silver, who had been hurt in a drive-by shooting. The dispatcher, Matthew Sanchez, told Quintero she "could deal with yourself" and hung up. Though responders were already on their way, Chavez-Silver did not survive.

Quintero said she couldn't believe Sanchez's actions. Though she apologized for the way she spoke to him, she said that it's part of the job to help her stay calm. Chief Downey agrees.

"We're there to relieve their frustration and solve their problem, not make it worse," he said.

The call got national attention, and Sanchez resigned Tuesday. In the wake of the incident, Downey said he's taking another look at his staff's procedures.

"I can't have the citizens and the community think that calling 911 isn't going to result in professionalism and a response that's gonna save lives," he said. "This isn't the way we operate."