Full Breakdown
Lawsuit Claims Cincinnati 911 Misclassifications Led to Teen’s Fatal Police Collision
8/22/2026, 9:01:24 PM
Core Incident
In late August 2024, 19-year-old Amir Jordan was struck and killed by a Cincinnati Police Department vehicle responding with lights and sirens. The dispatch followed a 9-1-1 call classified as a Priority 1-Red “Shooting (JO)” incident, a designation for an active, life-threatening shooting. The caller later clarified that no one had been shot and that the alleged female shooter had left the scene, but the classification was not downgraded. Eight police units were sent before the crash occurred at approximately 5:56 p.m. while Jordan was lawfully crossing Este Avenue after stepping off a Metro bus.
Background & Context
The Cincinnati Emergency Communications Center (ECC) processes roughly 350,000 emergency calls each year and, combined with the city’s 311 line, handles about one million calls annually. ECC’s Standard Operating Procedure 5.150 (effective March 2021) requires an Agency Liability Report whenever staff actions increase the risk of death, injury, or significant property loss. Plaintiffs cite a 2018 fatality involving 16-year-old Kyle Plush, which resulted in a $6 million settlement and a five-year reform plan that added three 911 experts to an advisory panel. They argue the reforms have not prevented misclassifications that contributed to Jordan’s death.
Data & Statistics
- The 9-1-1 call that led to Jordan’s death was entered as “FEMALE SHOT AT COMP …” and coded as a shooting, triggering a Priority 1-Red response.
- The lawsuit identifies three additional recent calls misclassified as gun-related incidents, including a June 2024 “Drive-By Shooting” that involved only a BB gun.
- A public-records request covering a 3½-year span produced a single Agency Liability Report, despite the policy’s requirement for multiple reports.
Official Statements & Responses
Attorney Zach Gottesman, representing Jordan’s mother Shenee McClendon, said the officer acted in good faith, believing he was responding to an active-shooter scenario, and emphasized that the officer is not the target of the lawsuit. City officials have declined comment, citing pending litigation. The complaint also alleges that City Manager Sheryl Long, ECC Director William Vedra, Deputy Director Karli Piper, Operations Manager Christopher Dooley, dispatcher Chelsea Basista and call-taker Sarah Houseworth were aware of prior misclassifications but failed to implement corrective measures.
On-the-Ground Reports
The family received no communication from city officials for nearly two years after the incident.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The complaint asserts that the 9-1-1 call remained classified as a shooting despite the caller’s clarification, while an internal quality-assurance review later deemed the call miscoded. ECC leadership did not conduct a system-wide audit, retrain staff, or generate the required Agency Liability Reports; city records show only one such report for the relevant period. The identity of the CPD officer driving the vehicle is not listed among defendants, leaving a gap in accountability for the direct cause of the collision.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We’re not criticizing the officer driving that car – he believed he was enroute to an active shooter situation, doing what he was supposed to do: protect and serve,” — Zach Gottesman
- “Director Vedra repeatedly stated that he was prohibiting electronic recordings because it would generate a public record that would then be subject to Ohio’s public records laws.” — Instead
What’s Next
The complaint seeks compensatory damages “in excess of $25,000,” as well as wrongful-death, survival, punitive damages, attorney fees, and court-supervised reforms. Requested reforms include oversight of call prioritization, classification, dispatch procedures, Agency Liability Reporting, training, supervision, auditing, and quality-assurance systems to prevent similar tragedies. The parties have indicated openness to settlement negotiations, though the case remains pending.
