Conservative group staffers, event attendees: 911 hung up on us four times during Occupy DC mob

WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 04: Hundreds of demonstrators from the Occupy Movement, Health Care for America Now, Common Cause and other progressive organizations march past the Washington Convention Center while protesting against the Defending the American Dream Summit November 4, 2011 in Washington, DC. The conservative political summit is organized by Americans for Prosperity, which was founded with the support of brothers David H. Koch and Charles G. Koch of Koch Industries. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Linda Boyd, spokeswoman for Washington Mayor Vincent Gray, confirmed to TheDC that four 911 calls were made from inside the convention center, but said the operators didn’t “hang up” on the callers. “All calls were answered and handled by the call takers appropriately,” Boyd said. “One of the callers terminated her call when the call taker asked for her name.”

She said that the Office of Unified Communications, which handles 911 calls, “does not hang up on people.”

“Two of the calls came from people who were together and in both calls the people explained that there are elderly people inside the convention center being blocked from coming out by the young people,” Boyd continued. “The female caller indicates that she believes this is because of President Obama. The 4th call was from a woman who was obviously upset that she could not get out of the convention center.”

When TheDC asked for tapes or transcripts of the calls, Boyd refused to provide them, saying they’re only available to those who actually made the call.

Boyd added that “Mayor Gray does not believe in violence of any kind and does not condone violence as acceptable behavior under any circumstances.”

DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier told TheDC that “violent protesters were arrested on scene.”

She also disputed the claims that police officers weren’t helping those who were injured as result of the protests.

“During the demonstration two individuals were leaving the convention center and fell down the front steps which were crowded with demonstrators,” Lanier told TheDC. “Officers Timothy Dummant and Lonny Bruce responded and assisted the subjects immediately.”

Lanier said Dummant and Bruce “helped both citizens to their feet and called for medical assistance,” even though one of the women and the summit attendees on scene remember it happening quite a bit differently.

“DC Fire EMS responded, one individual denied medical assistance and one was treated,” she said. “This was not a dispatched call for service; the officers present noticed the commotion and assisted immediately.”

Boyd said Mayor Gray and the Metropolitan Police Department will be more vigilant about the Occupy protesters and their potential for violence going forward.

“The prior [Occupy protester] demonstrations have been peaceful,” Boyd said. “The aggressive nature of Friday’s demonstration prompted the Metropolitan Police Department to adjust tactics as needed to ensure safety. They will continue to protect life and property (residents, visitors, protestors –everyone) and adjust strategies as warranted.”

“We have no reason to believe that the protestors will change from their peaceful state just because of Friday’s incident,” Boyd added, however. “They have been relatively peaceful since they began protesting October 6.”

She also said that Gray has “no jurisdiction” over McPherson Square or Liberty Plaza, where the Occupy DC protesters are currently camped out, so the mayor can’t kick them out, even though they don’t have a permit to protest legally.

“Mayor Gray has no jurisdiction over the areas that they occupy,” Boyd said. “The property they are settling on is under the authority of US Park Service Police.”

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