Dispatch audio from the New York Police Department recorded as Tuesday's attack unfolded in the city reveals a dramatic — and often tense — response. At least eight were killed and more than a dozen were injured.
Listen to six moments from the first 10 minutes after reports of pedestrians hit and shots fired came in:
(NPR obtained this audio via Broadcastify)
First, around 3:07 p.m. ET the dispatcher mentions pedestrians hit at West Street and Chambers Street:
Then, about a minute later, reports of "shots fired," and talk of sending additional units to West Street and Chambers. The suspect's weapons were later said to be a paintball gun and a pellet gun.
About a minute after that, the dispatcher asks for the condition on the scene; an officer requests "multiple buses" (ambulances):
There's more back-and-forth, often repetitive, for about a minute between the dispatcher and officers on the scene. Expressing some anger at the dispatcher, someone jumps in and advises "no further transmissions," directing people to get ambulances, a patrol supervisor and to "stop questioning the units, get them some backup":
"One-Henry," code for a First Precinct officer on-site, is then reported to have a suspect in custody. And those on the ground advise that they are now looking at a "mass casualty situation":
Then, less than 10 minutes after the first report of shots fired, a more somber request to shut down traffic because "it's going to be a crime scene":
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