911 call audio: Woman says man killed by Collier deputy tried to enter her Immokalee home

Before a deputy shot and killed Nicholas Morales-Bessania, a breathless woman called 911 early Thursday to report that a man with a shovel was trying to open the door to her Immokalee home, according to audio of the call released by the sheriff's office.

Deputies arrived at the scene around 6 minutes into the phone call, according to the conversation between the woman and the emergency dispatcher. About 20 seconds later she tells the dispatcher she can see the man walking toward deputies.

Seven seconds pass and popping sounds can be heard in the background. The dispatcher concludes the call soon after.

Morales-Bessannia  — a 37-year-old from Immokalee — was identified by the Collier County Sheriff's Office as the man with the shovel in the area of Edenfield Way. The agency later said an investigation determined that he also was carrying "a sharp-edge weapon as he charged toward deputies."

Deputies administered first aid after the shooting, and Morales-Bessannia was transported to NCH Northeast where he was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s office said.    

The law enforcement agency said it is conducting a criminal investigation into the shooting — standard practice for the department after such an incident — and an administrative investigation is underway. 

The deputy who fired his weapon is on administrative leave, according to the sheriff’s office.   

A man at the door

At 1:12 a.m. deputies dispatched to the Immokalee neighborhood in reference to a disturbance, the sheriff’s office stated.

The 911 call lasts for 6 minutes and 35 seconds.

Previous coverage: Deputy shoots, kills Immokalee man who was holding a shovel

According to audio of the call released at around 3 p.m. Thursday by the sheriff's office, the woman who calls for help says a man is knocking on a door to her home and is pulling on the knob.

The dispatcher asks the woman for her name and address then tells her to “just take a breath.” He asks whether she can see the man at her door.  

The woman, who tells the dispatcher she is inside with a few members of her family, says she doesn't want to open the door, so she hasn't gotten a good look at the man.  

The dispatcher again tells the woman to take a breath then asks whether anyone else has ever tried to break into her home. The woman tells the dispatcher it's never happened before. 

“And he has a shovel, and I don’t know if he’s trying to break the window or something,” the woman says.  

The dispatcher tells the woman to stay on the line, that help is on the way and to let him know if the man starts hitting anything with the shovel.  

The dispatcher asks the woman if she or anyone else inside her home is armed. They are not armed, she says. 

“He keeps yelling to open the door, to open the door,” the woman says.  

The dispatcher asks the woman whether she can tell what the man outside is wearing and/or guess his age. The woman says she and the others inside her home can’t see him well enough to get that information. At one point, she had mentioned they turned all the lights off inside the home.

About 6 minutes into the call, the woman says she believes police have arrived but they parked in front of a different home. 

“They usually don’t park right in front of the house,” the dispatcher tells her.  

A few seconds later, the dispatcher asks what the man outside is doing. The woman says the man is walking toward police. 

As the dispatcher starts ending the call, the popping begins and is followed by what sounds like a yell.

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