Widow Criticizes 911 Action

Punishment Called Lenient, 'Hideous'

The widow of a slain music engineer said yesterday she felt that Prince George's County's punishment of emergency communications workers who mishandled her husband's 911 call was "hideous" in its leniency, and she demanded further investigation into events surrounding the shooting.

On Monday, the county's public safety director, Vernon Herron, suspended two 911 call-takers for four days without pay and gave a written reprimand to a supervisor over their handling of the case of Raymond S. Brown II -- a prominent music engineer who was shot and killed Oct. 13.

Danielle Steele Brown said her husband, "a totally innocent man," would be alive if police had been dispatched promptly. She said her husband and at least two other people called 911 to report that a tow truck was taking Raymond Brown's Chrysler 300.

Raymond Brown, 36, followed the truck in another car and was later shot by the person or people driving the tow truck, police said.

Herron said Brown's call should have been documented and police should have been sent out, but that didn't happen.

"Why would that justify a suspension of four days without pay and a written reprimand? That is hideous," Steele Brown said. "For them to receive those calls and not take them seriously is hideous."

Herron issued a statement yesterday saying that "our hearts go out to this family" and that authorities are concerned with finding the killer.

"In Public Safety Communications, we've identified our shortcomings and made important and necessary adjustments," the statement said.

County spokesman John Erzen said there were two 911 calls that night relating to the case: one from Raymond Brown, and one from an unidentified resident. The second dispatcher was suspended for failing to properly document the 911 call from the unidentified resident.

Steele Brown spoke by speakerphone to the news conference to keep her identity hidden because no suspects have been arrested in the case. Her mother, LaVerne Steele, who attended the news conference, said she believed the call-takers and supervisor should be fired.

"I believe that this is a cover-up," Steele said. "Clearly the 911 dispatchers are not trained well. . . . This system is broke, and it needs to be fixed."

Lawyer Donald M. Temple, who said he was a family spokesman, said the family is not thinking about lawsuits but wants a full investigation.