Lassiter

FACTS

On July 25, 2003 the Lassiters’ neighbor called 911 to report disturbing noises and threats coming from the Las- siters’ home. She reported hearing Mr. Lassiter apparently threatening to cut his wife’s throat, and said that she thought Mrs. Lassiter was either tied up or locked in a room. The neighbor went outside of the Lassiters’ home and lifted her phone to the window. The 911 recording captured a man’s voice saying, “Your job is to obey me. Right now.”; “I will hurt you.”; and, “You’re too fucking close that’s it. That’s your own fucking throat and you’re not going to cut mine.”

The 911 operator called officers Thuring and Van Santford to investigate a possible domestic violence assault. The opera- tor told them that the male had made threats to cut the female’s throat, and that the female was yelling for the male to let go of her. The officers arrived at the scene in uniform. They could hear a male inside yelling.1 They went to the door and knocked at least three different times, announcing them- selves as police officers and directing the occupants to come to the door. Finally Mrs. Lassiter came to the door, peered out from behind it, and said there was no problem…