A Houston domestic abuse victim was made to wait hours for Harris County sheriff’s deputies to respond

Houston, Texas (KTRK) – When you call 911, you’re calling because you want help from first responders and you expect them to show up quickly.

A woman in northwest Houston called for help Sunday night after saying she had been abused, but law enforcement did not show up for hours.

Fortunately, a neighbor carried the woman to safety while the suspect was accused of continuing to make threats.

Nineteen-year-old Jamal Smith is being held on combined bail of $105,000 for three felony counts, and is accused of striking, cutting, and choking his partner. The victim’s father told ABC13 he was angry that someone had beaten his daughter to death, but also upset that the sheriff’s office didn’t show up quickly and promptly to help her, especially because it was a domestic violence case.

“When I saw her in the light, the first thing I noticed was that she had black eyes,” said the victim’s father, who has not been identified to help the victim maintain her identity.

No one, especially parents, wants to see their loved one with black eyes, cuts and bruises all over the body. The victim’s father said his daughter needed approximately forty stitches.

The victim’s father said, “I was devastated. When I saw what she looked like – we went straight to the hospital.”

“Allegations of actual threats and injuries with the use of a knife,” a judge said during a probable cause court this week. The court notes that the alleged asphyxiation was carried out using a belt.

Smith appeared in probable cause court and was charged with assault on a family member, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated assault on a family member.

The victim’s father told ABC13 that she said she was dragged to the ground by the neck by the belt. The woman fled after the assault reportedly lasted for hours.

The victim’s father said, “I’m so grateful. I’m so glad someone looked for her.”

He said that “someone,” unfortunately, was not responsible for law enforcement. Rather, it was a neighbor. He said law enforcement took hours to respond.

“I hope the police get better response times for these things because waiting over an hour and not showing up is ridiculous,” he said.

The neighbor who called 911 said it took more than three hours for help to arrive, so ABC13 asked the Harris County Sheriff’s Office about it.

Representatives told Eyewitness News that a dispatcher had classified this situation as a second priority call based on the information they received.

The second priority basically means there is no immediate threat, and MPs respond when they get the chance.

If it had been classified as a single priority call, the HCSO said deputies would have responded immediately.

The victim and the neighbor said that 911 was called several times.

“I just want the police to make a quick response, especially if it was domestic violence,” said the victim’s father.

He said he intends to file a formal complaint about the late response.

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