A city firefighter who resigned after hanging up on a 911 caller attempting to save a wounded friend has filed a lawsuit alleging he was terminated days into a new job with the Bernalillo County Fire Department when a commissioner expressed concern over his hiring.
Matthew Sanchez was a 10-year veteran of the Albuquerque Fire Department when he fielded a call June 26, 2015, from a frantic teenage girl attempting to render aid to Jaydon Chavez-Silver. The popular Manzano High School athlete had been fatally shot in a drive-by shooting, and the teen was attempting to keep him alive, at times cussing at the 911 operator, Sanchez. After the teen swore, Sanchez told her to “deal with this yourself” before hanging up.