Late Tuesday night, October 2nd, the Murphy Police Department issued a press release regarding the tragic accident of a small child who was critically injured when he became entangled in a soccer net in the back yard of his Maxwell Creek home earlier in the day. An account of the accident can be read in this issue’s Incident Reports for that date.

Sadly, Matthew Cantrell passed away from those injuries on Friday, October 5th. Services for the little boy were held in Murphy on the following Monday and Tuesday.

Along with the outpouring of sympathy and support for the family from the Murphy community, speculation arose and questions were raised regarding the handling of the 9-1-1 call. To clarify the actions of both departments who responded to the scene after being called there by the mother of the little boy, the Messenger contacted Police Chief Billie Myrick and Fire Chief Kelley Stalder. 

Chief Myrick did not respond to our multiple inquiries concerning the actions of dispatched police personnel, however when asked if an updated press release would be forthcoming, he provided this statement, “At this point in time there will be no additional press release. It is well known that little Matthew passed away last Friday night and the funeral was held this past Tuesday. Most of that information has already been reported in other print as well as television and radio media. This was a terribly tragic incident and we believe the family should be allowed to grieve now without continuing media coverage.”

Chief Stalder did respond to our inquiry and offered this clarification regarding the fire-rescue response,


“When paramedics on the ambulance arrived at the front yard of the home, they went directly inside the house to assess the patient. They (the paramedics) were not blocked or delayed in any way by anyone. The paramedics picked up the child from a sofa, began CPR, and carried him to the ambulance to continue life-savings measures; then they transported the child to the hospital.” 

With any emergency 9-1-1 call for a medical emergency, Chief Stalder said, both an engine and ambulance are sent on a call and the needs of a patient always take precedence over a police investigation. Chief Stalder did not know how long police personnel were on the scene prior to the ambulance’s arrival but quite often, he said, police do reach a 9-1-1 call scene before medics because the police are generally already mobile in the vicinity while the Fire-Rescue personnel are coming from the Fire Department with their equipment.  
 
Should anyone like to make a memorial donation in Matthew’s name, the family has requested that donations be made to St Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Heaven Scent Paws,  www.heavenscentpaws.com.