Paulson's 911 call: 'He's not acting like a normal, average person'
TACOMA, Wash. -- Investigators have released tapes of frantic 911 calls made before and after a special education teacher was shot outside Birney Elementary School last week.
Jennifer Paulson herself had called 911, pleading for help, just days before she was fatally attacked.
Paulson: "I have an anti-harassment order out on somebody who is following me right now."
911 dispatcher: "He's still following you?"
Paulson: "He is, yeah. He's right behind me."
That call came in on Feb. 19 as Paulson was being followed by the man who would eventually kill her. From her car, Paulson tells the dispatcher Jed Waits, who has stalked her for years, was waiting for her outside her school.
Paulson: "A lot of people are gone. There weren't very many people left there, and he was waiting for me for that long, apparently."
911 dispatcher: "Oh, wow, that's scary."
Paulson: "It's really concerning, because something's going on. He's not, he's not acting like a normal, average person acts."
Police eventually pulled Waits over and put him in jail for a few days. After he was released, he continued to feed his obsession with Paulson.
Last Friday, another call was made to 911, and this time not by Paulson.
Caller: "We have a shooting here. A teacher's been shot."
911 dispatcher: "OK, which school is it at?"
Caller: "Birney Elementary School."
911 dispatcher: "OK, we have some...Slow down, slow down, We already have a call. We already have people on their way there."
Witnesses reported a man approached Paulson just before school started, and shot her at least five times from point-blank range.
911 dispatcher: "First of all, a teacher was shot for sure?"
Caller: "Yes. Yes."
911 dispatcher: "Was the teacher inside or outside?"
Caller: "Outside, coming in the building."
911 dispatcher: "OK, the shooter himself -- do you know who that was?"
Caller: "We think we have a good idea. He...he's harassed her before."
That man was Jed Waits, who was soon found and shot by police.
Paulson's family said she did everything she could for protection, even going to court to have an anti-harassment order issued. They are frustrated it wasn't enough, and hope what happened to their loved one brings about reform.
Jennifer Paulson herself had called 911, pleading for help, just days before she was fatally attacked.
Paulson: "I have an anti-harassment order out on somebody who is following me right now."
911 dispatcher: "He's still following you?"
Paulson: "He is, yeah. He's right behind me."
That call came in on Feb. 19 as Paulson was being followed by the man who would eventually kill her. From her car, Paulson tells the dispatcher Jed Waits, who has stalked her for years, was waiting for her outside her school.
Paulson: "A lot of people are gone. There weren't very many people left there, and he was waiting for me for that long, apparently."
911 dispatcher: "Oh, wow, that's scary."
Paulson: "It's really concerning, because something's going on. He's not, he's not acting like a normal, average person acts."
Police eventually pulled Waits over and put him in jail for a few days. After he was released, he continued to feed his obsession with Paulson.
Last Friday, another call was made to 911, and this time not by Paulson.
Caller: "We have a shooting here. A teacher's been shot."
911 dispatcher: "OK, which school is it at?"
Caller: "Birney Elementary School."
911 dispatcher: "OK, we have some...Slow down, slow down, We already have a call. We already have people on their way there."
Witnesses reported a man approached Paulson just before school started, and shot her at least five times from point-blank range.
911 dispatcher: "First of all, a teacher was shot for sure?"
Caller: "Yes. Yes."
911 dispatcher: "Was the teacher inside or outside?"
Caller: "Outside, coming in the building."
911 dispatcher: "OK, the shooter himself -- do you know who that was?"
Caller: "We think we have a good idea. He...he's harassed her before."
That man was Jed Waits, who was soon found and shot by police.
Paulson's family said she did everything she could for protection, even going to court to have an anti-harassment order issued. They are frustrated it wasn't enough, and hope what happened to their loved one brings about reform.