The family of a man who was murdered and dumped in the Kentucky River, is suing the city of Lexington.
According to the lawsuit that was filed on Monday, Alex Johnson’s family said the 911 call takers failed to do their job when witnesses saw Johnson being beaten and called for help.
“We miss him every day, every minute of every day,” said Alex’s mother, Judy Johnson.
For these parents, the pain of losing their son weighs heavier every moment they’re left wondering why no one came to his rescue.
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“We were just devastated thinking that he might have been saved if the proper procedure had been followed,” said Judy.
“We certainly feel like our son would be alive today if they just followed their policy,” added Alex’s father, Lee Johnson.
That’s what they say in the lawsuit about Lexington’s 911 dispatch. The couple filed the suit, less than a year after Alex was taken from his apartment on North Hanover.
In December of 2013 police said Alex was beaten in a car and killed. His body was then stuffed in a barrel and dumped into the Kentucky River.
“On the night that our son was kidnapped and murdered, there were witnesses that called 911 while the event was taking place,” said Judy.
The Johnson’s said their private detective found the witnesses and copies of the 911 calls. The lawsuit cites two different people reporting the assault. However, it said the call wasn’t dispatched to police as a crime “in progress,” which could have lead to a faster police response. The suit also claims the call takers failed to stay on the line with the callers until police arrived.
“The 911 call takers thought it was a joke. They didn’t do anything,” said Lee.
“As far as we know, police were not dispatched to the scene,” said Judy.
The family said the lawsuit is not because of money, they instead want to make sure call-takers uphold a safety standard. They said they are asking the city to make sure no one else has to feel their pain.
“There is no way we can bring our son back, the only thing we can do is hope nobody else has to go through what we have been through,” said Lee
The Johnson family said they have reached out to the city of Lexington asking to sit down and talk about the case, however they said they have received little to no response.
On Monday LEX 18 News reached out to the city of Lexington for their side of the story, however they said they could not comment on current lawsuits.
When it comes to the criminal case of Alex Johnson’s death, both Robert Taylor and Timothy Ballard have been arrested. They are set to stand trial next October.
