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| Michael Bellah |
A woman was choked and raped by a man after police dispatcher would not send her any help.
The woman called police after her former boyfriend tried to break into her home.
Instead of sending an officer to help the woman, the dispatcher told the woman of Josephine County, Oregon, to ask the man to leave. The police operator told the woman there was no officer available to assist her.
The chilling emergency call made headlines when it emerged that Josephine County police were unwilling or unable to help prevent a sexual assault in progress. The woman was told to ask her former boyfriend who was on parole to leave because they could not send units to her residence when she called to report the break-in.
“I don’t have anybody to send out there. You know, obviously, if he comes inside the residence and assaults you, can you ask him to go away? Do you know if he’s intoxicated or anything?” The police dispatcher said.
The man was finally able to enter the house of the woman and brutally raped her before fleeing. After she was raped, police went looking for the man and arrested him. The man was identified as Michael Bellah, 29.
“How is it that there were no officers available to assist the woman who was about be raped, but they did have officers available to go and arrest the man after the rape? The police department should be sued for their failure to protect a tax paying citizen,” Julia Mason, 28, of Portland, Oregon, told YourJewishNews.com after she was asked what she thought about the police who failed to help a woman who was about to become a rape victim.
The woman was left traumatized, but she is incredibly thankful that he did not kill her. The Josephine County Sheriff blames recent government budget cuts which reduced police officers available to assist people on 911 calls. Officers are aware that there is a significant shortage of police staff. The sheriff said that anyone at risk of violence should move to a jurisdiction with better police coverage.
After the government budget cuts, which occurred before the rape incident, Josephine County Sheriff Gil Gilbertson said in a press release that victims of domestic violence should "consider relocating to an area with adequate police services."
Bellah was charged with Kidnapping, sex abuse, stangulation and theft among other things. His bail was set at $437,500.