Deaf Dallas woman killed while waiting for police’s help
Local news in Dallas said a 25-year-old deaf woman named Zarea Dixon called 911 to report that she was under attack from her ex-boyfriend but that it took police officers over an hour to arrive. By the time officers showed up to Dixon’s apartment, she was found deceased with wounds on her face and neck.
This happened on February 24 and the suspected killer, Tahj Pinson, was arrested in March and charged with murder two weeks ago.
Dixon’s mother, Kimberly Green, said she believes Dixon could have been alive if police showed up earlier.
NBC 5 DFW said Dixon was “born deaf and loved teaching friends and family sign language.”
The news reports said an arrest affidavit explained that on February 24 in the afternoon, Dixon messaged her family that Pinson had broken into her apartment and attacked her. Dixon then called 911 and through a Sorenson interpreter, explained that her ex-boyfriend broke into her home, beat her up, and tried to stab her with a knife. Dixon said the ex-boyfriend left her home, declined an ambulance, but said she needed the police. That 911 call was at 2:58 p.m.
Dixon then texted her mother to inform her that the police were on their way. But the offices wouldn’t show up until 4:14 p.m., which is an hour and sixteen mintues from the initial 911 call.
The officers who responded said they saw a broken window and tried to call out but did not get a response. When the officers entered the apartment, they found Dixon unresponsive on a couch. Dallas Fire-Rescue pronounced her dead. Police said she was strangled.
Here is a video clip from NBC 5 DFW.
[News clip, Credit: NBC 5 DFW]
A Dallas Police spokesperson said it is the department’s goal to respond to family violence calls within 12 minutes, but during the time of Dixon’s call, all available patrol officers were responding to or at the scene of other calls.
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Dixon’s aunt said Dallas police need to hire more officers and do whatever they need to do to get to the scene quicker when there are domestic violence calls. The aunt said “(Dixon) died knowing that she called for help. No one showed.”
Dixon’s mother said she aspired to be a hairdresser, loved to dance, and had many friends. She went to Woodrow Wilson High School.
So, this is a very tragic story about a young deaf woman who was a victim of domestic violence and never got the help she needed.