Mom Gives Birth Alone; Police Unable to Open Apartment

STATter911.com
Reprinted with Permission
9NEWS NOW reporter Gary Nurenberg assisted in the writing of this story
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Alexandria police say the department will begin an investigation to determine whether any of its officers walked away from a city apartment, refusing a husband's plea that police break down his door and check on the well-being of his pregnant wife and one-and-a-half year-old son.


The woman was found inside the apartment about four-hours later, unconscious on a bloody floor, having given birth prematurely to a baby girl, while the toddler wandered the apartment tracking blood on the floor and a bed.

32-year-old Harriet Aboagye, suffering from substantial blood loss, was then rushed to Inova Alexandria Hospital where she and her baby girl were treated.

"The doctor told me my wife almost died," said Francis Aboagye.

"The doctor told me she had a seizure before she had a baby," he told 9NEWS Now in an emotional Friday evening interview.

Francis Aboagye left the couple's second floor apartment at about 5:30 on the morning of May 26. Harriet had complained of back pain and had made an appointment to see her doctor when his office opened that morning.

Reached at work, Francis was told his wife never made the appointment, so he called home to find out why.

"And nobody responded, so I call 911 to come to my house and check my wife with my one-and-a-half-year (old) boy. So, when they came they knocked on the door and told me ... that nobody responded in the house, no TV, no noise, no nothing in the house," he said.

Aboagye says he asked police to break down the door, but says police were unable to do so because they did not have the proper tools. He left work, and made it home nearly four hours later, finding his unconscious wife on the floor.
Again, he called 911, this time securing an ambulance to take his wife and newborn daughter to the hospital.

Sources familiar with the situation tell STATter911.com that EMS should have been dispatched on that first 911 call, but were not. If, as Francis Aboagye said, police did not have the proper tools for entry, it is unclear why the Alexandria Fire Department wasn't dispatched to assist.

Alexandria police say they have received no formal complaint, but after our inquiries on Friday are launching an investigation.

Reached after business hours on Friday evening, police were able to provide few details, but confirmed the department had answered a call at the Aboagye's address.

Police tell 9NEWS NOW that calls to check on the welfare of individuals are taken very seriously.

A police executive says the department is committed to getting answers and will review recordings and other material at the beginning of the week.

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thats never good.....my thoughts go out to the new mother and father
yes she could have...& then the police dept. would have had 2 answer why they didnt call for back up & been held accountable 4 her death
EMS should have been called on the first 911 call. OK they must have forcible entry tools on the bus??? Not to play devils adovcate but what were the police officers actually told? They get a call from a husband who is 4 hours away and they may have been told to go check the house because he can't locate his wife via the phone. Happens all the time. Most often times the house is empty. So these guys go and size-up the residence. This was an apartment building, steel door in the video. All is quiet. Maybe it appeared that nobody was home. If that was true and they smashed the door down, then someone is gonna have to pay for a new door and then in this world, there would be a lawsuit as the husband is not the property owner. The officers would be concerned with discipline... etc.

We need to wait for the investigation to understand the whole situation. The PD will probably have some new policies and procedures on handling check the welfare calls in the future.

Here are a few suggestions for the future.

1. Locate the landlord, open the door with a master key.
2. Ask a neighbor if they have seen her, or have a key?
3. Call the FD, may have a knoxbox master key.
4. Call the FD, maybe that big red trucks ladder would be helpful?
5. Call the FD, maybe they will force the lock to gain access.

I am sure if there was the slightest indication that someone was home unable to answer the door, the PD would have drove their car through the building. Are they good guys? absolutely, probably got caught being cautious...

Hope the mom and child are recovering well.

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