Relatives of slain woman sue over 911 response

Relatives of a woman who was found fatally beaten more than six hours after a neighbor first called 911 for help are suing Denver and some of its dispatchers.

In the federal lawsuit filed Monday, the family of Loretta Barela says a neighbor called 911 on Nov. 18, 2012, when she saw a man hitting Barela and dragging her across the street.

The suit says police were not dispatched to Barela’s home for more than an hour despite a second call from the neighbor. Officers left when there was no response to a knock on her door.

Officers found Barela’s body after her husband called 911 to say he killed her. The suit says operators overlooked the urgency of the calls.

City officials did not immediately return a call for comment.