The Bakersfield Police Department is pushing back after a viral video purportedly showed a 911 dispatcher behaving rudely toward a caller. In response to the uproar, the department has taken the step of releasing the complete, unedited audio of the interaction, following a TikTok video that amassed nearly ten million views.
This online saga began when a woman, identified only as Natalie, posted a video on February 11. In her TikTok, Natalie claimed that anyone calling 911 in Bakersfield would likely encounter the same “stupid” operator she did. Addressing the dispatcher directly in her video, Natalie used harsh language, questioning why the dispatcher exhibited what she perceived as an attitude, even resorting to insults.
To ensure accountability and address the allegations, the Bakersfield Police Department initiated an internal review and promptly released the audio from the 2021 call in question. This audio presents a narrative that contrasts sharply with the claims made in the viral video. In the first four-minute segment, the dispatcher can be heard calmly collecting critical information about a reported domestic violence incident, displaying professionalism throughout the exchange.
Speaking directly to the operator, Natalie said, “Why are you such a c***? Why do you have an attitude for me calling your job, you weird a** b****.”
In a move for transparency, BPD launched an internal review and released the audio from the 2021 call referenced online.
The audio tells a different story than the one told online. In the first four-minute clip, the dispatcher is heard calmly gathering details of an alleged domestic violence incident.
In three following calls, dispatchers tried to “coordinate contact” with Natalie, who had left the initial location after waiting for several hours. The dispatcher wanted to send a responding officer to her home.
When Natalie declined, expressing concern her parents would be “mad” if police showed up, and wanted to “call it off,” the dispatcher explained that because it was a domestic violence complaint, they could not.
The dispatcher then provided hours of operation for the police station so she could come in herself and file a report.
“In each of these calls, our call-takers provided courteous and professional communication consistent with the service expectations of our organization,” the BPD said in a statement.
Police officials clarified that none of the employees who were doxxed online were involved in the incident.
