911 dispatcher who told teen to ‘stop whining’ no longer on job

WASHINGTON — After a 911 dispatcher told a frantic teen caller to stop whining, it triggered a response from the community and from his supervisors. Now the county says the man is no longer on the job.

The audio, which first aired on NBC4, was from Rick Warrick’s daughter moments after he was struck alongside the Baltimore-Washington Parkway near Laurel, Maryland while trying to change a tire.

While U.S. Park Police say a person of interest has been identified in the hit-and-run case, Warrick died of his injuries and his fiancee was seriously injured.

After the call, Anne Arundel County Fire Department supervisors transferred the operator to another department where he didn’t interact with the public. They now confirm he has left his position.

Capt. Russ Davies, a fire department spokesman, said he could not release details about the operator’s departure, his name or his rank.

December 22, 2024 | (Rick Massimo)

Megan Cloherty

WTOP Investigative Reporter Megan Cloherty primarily covers breaking news, crime and courts.

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