Taylor receives Outstanding Service Award

A Whitley County 911 dispatcher has been honored with an Outstanding Service Award from the Williamsburg Police Department for her assistance in helping to track down a suspect wanted for stabbing a woman last month, who then led authorities on a four-hour manhunt.
Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird, who is also assistant to the chairman of the 911 board, presented dispatcher Dinnita Taylor with the award Friday evening.
"She had her hands full that night and she did an excellent job. She didn’t miss a stride," Bird said. "I can’t say enough about the good job she did.
"She was key in us apprehending the suspect that night. If it hadn’t been for her quick response pinging cell phones and some of the things she did, it might have taken us a little longer or we may not have apprehended him at all."
The award stems from Taylor’s work on the evening of Feb. 22 and during the early morning hours of Feb. 23 after Ashley Warren was stabbed 16 times on Skyview Drive in Williamsburg about 11 p.m.
Her alleged attacker, Anthony Potter-Spicer, fled from the scene and area police departments used K-9 dogs and numerous officers to track him until he was captured shortly after 3 a.m.
Taylor was the only dispatcher on duty when the stabbing occurred.
"The relief dispatcher, the dispatcher, who was with her, left about 10 or 10:30 p.m., and this call came in right after her help left. She was there by herself and did an excellent job," Bird said. "She is an excellent dispatcher any how."
After the stabbing, Taylor was handling radio traffic for the Williamsburg Police Department and the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department. In addition, she was also communicating with the Kentucky State Police.
Besides the police radio traffic, Taylor was also communicating that night with Whitley County EMS, which was treating Warren, and coordinating with Air Evac Lifeteam, which flew her to Lexington for treatment.
On top of these duties, Taylor was answering various other calls and working with AT&T to ping the suspect’s cell phone as police were searching for him.
"She is doing all this and doesn’t miss a stride," Bird noted. "Every time we hollered at her, she answered us. She constantly kept us updated on information.
"She was a tremendous asset in us capturing Anthony Potter-Spicer because we had a perimeter set up and those pings from his cell phone she was getting from AT&T were a huge asset for us."
Whitley County 911 Director Chuck Davis said he feels Taylor is definitely deserving of the award.
"I have several real good dispatchers and she is top notch. She is one of the best dispatchers that is here," Davis added.
Bird, who at one time in his career worked as a 911 dispatcher, said he understands what 911 dispatchers go through.
"A lot of people think it is not a tough job but it’s a tough job especially when you are there by yourself," Bird said.
"Not only was she dispatching for us with EMS, she was also answering other calls that are coming in. I’m sure she probably had to dispatch some ambulances out on some runs and give some calls out to the county and so forth during that time."
Bird added that 911 dispatchers aren’t someone you normally hear about in the mainstream media but he thinks they deserve to be recognized for what they do.