Crime & Safety

Dispatcher That Handled Call for Rt. 1 Fatal Dragging Put on Paid Leave

The Wrentham police dispatcher that handled the initial call related to a fatal dragging on Route 1 in November has been put on administrative leave.

Deborah Finnegan, who has been a civilian dispatcher in Wrentham for over 15 years, was placed on leave after what investigators call an unintentional error according to WHDH.

On Nov. 18, 58-year-old Kanchanben Patel, an employee of the motel, was dragged to death up Route 1 from the Arbor Inn in Wrentham to near Chickie Flynn's in Foxboro.

The initial call requesting a police cruiser concerning an unpaid bill came in though the business line eight minutes before the incident according to Wrentham Police. A cruiser was not sent until a 911 call came in after the Patel was run over.


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