When Being Ignored Gets You Killed

With all the focus in the national media and internets being focused on the rogue actions of male cops and perps, yet again another story of a woman of color gets eclipsed. In what seems a clear case of domestic/dating violence run amuck Loyta Sloley was kidnapped by her former boyfriend. It can't be overstated how important it is for a woman to not allow men who are less than any slack or ignore obvious warning signs for violent behavior. Those men that engage in violence against the women they're supposed to care about are by far some of the most dangerous men walking. For when the woman tries to get out they turn on them, often killing them. Which is what happened to Ms. Sloley. 

It took police almost four hours to find Loyta Sloley, 34, who called co-workers hours before her Jan. 27 death and told them that she was being held against her will by her ex-boyfriend. By the time police arrived, she was dead on the floor of a downtown Orlando hotel, shot at least four times by ex-boyfriend James Clayton, according to a police report.

Unfortunately the story doesn't end there. She managed to call 911 and the emergency operator not only ignored her, but implied she was lying about being in danger. This caused a delay in dispatching the police and resulted in her death just as surely as the bastard that pulled the trigger. So you know we may feel desensitized to hearing about cops and killers, but they are typically male. Women are in peril from the criminal elements as well as law enforcement. This operator was just as callous, stubborn and dare I say it - racist - as any cop that would fire a gun. 

If you are a lower income woman of color you apparently have to prove your victim status to the whims of those that are hired to help you in an emergency. Now I have to say Ms. Sloley exasperated her situation by not reporting the previous violence but she certainly didn't deserve to die the way she did. I hope this case will be reviewed and procedures will be evaluated so this doesn't happen again. It has to be demanded! Yet, it was totally unnecessary to begin with.