By Ewan Palmer
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The family of Kyle Plush, the Ohio teen who died after his minivan seat flipped on top of him, despite calling 911 for help twice, stormed out of a council meeting discussing the 16-year-old's death following a suggestion they were seeking financial compensation.
The family had sat through five hours of talks from police and 911 operators about the circumstances that led to the boy's death, when Councilman Wendell Young said in his closing remarks "but there's no amount of money that's going to make you happy," reports WCPO-TV.
Plush's father, Ron Plush, then shouted from the public gallery "It's not about money."
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"That's the most insensitive thing I've ever heard," Ron's brother, Robert yelled, while standing and pointing his finger towards the Cincinnati City council members.
"You guys were doing great until this guy started talking. I'm sorry, you've crossed the line. You have crossed the line."
All the family members then stood up and walked out of the Law and Public Safety Committee special meeting on April 17.
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Young continued to talk for a short while after the family had left, adding he "never intended my remarks to be insensitive."
"It's painful to see the family leave these chambers in that way," said Councilman Christopher Smitherman, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I think the family had it right. I think they left here with the sense that we weren't going to get it right."
The teenager died in a freak accident after the third row bench seat flipped over and pinned him as he reached to get some tennis gear from the back of his Honda Odyssey at the Seven Hills School parking lot in Madisonville, Ohio.
The boy then used Siri to 911 to plead for help, telling the operator: "I'm gonna die here."
Cincinnati police officers and a county sheriff's deputy on traffic duty at the school then searched for the boy, but were unable to find him. Around 20 minutes later, Plush dialed 911 again and gave a description of the vehicle, adding "This is not a joke…I'm almost dead. I probably don't have much time left, so tell my mom that I love her if I die."
An investigation was launched after it was revealed the 911 dispatcher who received Plush's second call, Amber Smith, did not pass on information such as the make, model and color of the minivan to officers. Smith could be heard saying how she was struggling to hear the teenager during the 911 call.
The 16-year-old was eventually found unresponsive by a family member who tracked his iPhone at around 9 p.m, six hours after he first dialed 911.
Smith was placed on administration leave following the boy's death, but is set to return to work.
The focus of the cabinet meeting was on other issues surrounding the 911 call center, including staff shortages, reports of system failures, dropped calls and insufficient training.
Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac also told council members he has ordered an internal investigation after revealing he is not sure if officers ever got out of their vehicle to look for Plush, reports WCPO-TV.
"The officers are in the process of being interviewed this week," Isaac said. "All of their actions will be reviewed, and we'll be able to determine the propriety of their actions."
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