MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The family of Corrion Partee, a 24‑year‑old inmate serving a nine‑year robbery sentence at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison in Nashville, is demanding a formal investigation after a 911 call for medical assistance was mishandled.
Confusion over prison address and emergency code
According to the family, the first 911 call recorded a prison employee stating, “We have an inmate that needs an ambulance,” but then asking, “What is Riverbend’s address?” The employee admitted it was the first time they had to handle such a request and transferred the call to voicemail.
The 911 dispatcher, hearing the confusion, hung up and called back. After a brief hold, the call was routed to a shift commander who was identified as Capt. Jones. The dispatcher explained the need for an ambulance, and the prison employee responded, “Umm… inmate… I mean… he’s got no pulse.”
Because security protocols require a special code for emergency vehicles to enter the prison grounds, the dispatcher asked for the code. The employee replied, “It’s a Code 4. Medical emergency,” which the dispatcher clarified was not the code being requested. The dispatcher repeated the request, stating it was “standard procedure for us entering the prison.”
Delay and fatal outcome
The family says it took prison staff nearly 20 minutes to get the ambulance onto the property. A separate 911 recording shows the dispatcher waiting on hold for a full minute before a prison employee answered, further extending the response time.
Corrion Partee died before the ambulance could reach him. His father, Corry Partee, expressed outrage, saying, “These people do not care about anyone. We haven’t had any answers from the warden, not even from the Tennessee Department of Corrections.”
Family seeks answers and accountability
The Partee family learned of the death from a fellow inmate, not from state officials, and discovered the 911 confusion through a TikTok post. “Everybody failed my nephew. Whether he did wrong or right, he was still a human,” said his aunt, Rochelle Phillips.
“He never got his second chance, and they’re trying to brush it off as if nothing happened,” added Corrion’s older brother, Cortney Partee. “My brother was supposed to make it back home to us. They took that away from him.”
State response
Action News 5 reached out to the Tennessee Department of Corrections for comment on the incident and on any steps being taken to correct procedural flaws. The department has not responded at the time of this publication.
Calls for reform
The incident echoes a similar emergency‑response failure that occurred two weeks earlier during the botched execution attempt of Christa Pike, when an ambulance also faced a lengthy delay.
Family members and community advocates are urging state officials to review and revise emergency‑access protocols at all correctional facilities to ensure that medical emergencies are addressed promptly and that staff are properly trained on critical codes and address information.
Local leaders and faith‑based groups have expressed concern for the dignity of all individuals, including those incarcerated, emphasizing the importance of humane treatment and swift medical care as a matter of basic Christian compassion and constitutional rights.
Original reporting: Action News 5 WMC (Gray) — read the source article.
