Colorado Springs PD accused of taking an hour to respond to hostage situation turned murder-suicide
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A law firm retained by the family of the victim in a murder-suicide alleges the Colorado Springs Police Department failed to respond in time to save his life.
On Friday, June 2, police began investigating a shooting inside a car at a parking lot off S. Nevada Ave., between a Taco Bell and a Wendy’s. At the scene, officers found two men dead inside an All Copy Products company vehicle.
Wednesday, CSPD identified the victim as Qualin Campbell and the suspect as David Karels of Colorado Springs.
According to CSPD, officers were dispatched to the parking lot at 2:09 p.m. However, Georgia-based law firm Harry M. Daniels LLC claims the police knew about the dangerous situation for an hour before trying to help Campbell.
The law firm alleges CSPD failed to respond to a 911 call that Campbell’s wife made.
According to a press release by the law firm, Campbell’s wife had called 911 to report that he had been taken hostage after receiving a text message from him asking for help.
The two texts said “911” and “Send please!” with a picture of an unidentified man - believed to be Karels - in the passenger seat of his vehicle with a gun on his lap. The law firm said Campbell also sent his location to his wife.
The law firm states Campbell’s wife called 911 to report he was being held hostage and the location he gave. Based on a photo provided by the law firm, his wife called 911 at 1:13 p.m.
However, based on information released by CSPD, officers didn’t arrive on the scene for another 56 minutes. By that time, Campbell and Karels were dead.
“The Colorado Springs Police Department and El Paso County can make all the excuses they want, but the facts are simple,” said civil rights attorney Harry Daniels in a press release. “This was a hostage situation where Qualin Campbell was begging for his life, his wife called 911, the police were less than a mile away but they never responded.”
Daniels and Chantel Cherry-Lassiter represent Campbell’s wife. However, the press release did not say that a lawsuit has been filed yet or that one is going to be filed.
“Let’s be clear. If the police don’t respond to a hostage situation, none of us are safe,” Daniels said in the press release.
Daniels told KRDO he would be in Colorado Springs Wednesday to speak to the 4th Judicial District Attorney.
