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Officials investigate response time in 911 killing

DENVER (AP) — Authorities are investigating whether Denver police responded quickly enough to a woman who was fatally shot nearly 15 minutes into a 911 call about her husband, who she said was hallucinating and asking her to shoot him.

A homicide detective who listened to the 911 call said he could hear her scream and then gunfire, according to court documents. Officers arrived just after the Monday night shooting and found Kristine Kirk, 44, of Denver, dead of a gunshot wound to the head.

A judge ordered her husband, Richard Kirk, 47, held without bond after his first court appearance Wednesday. Kirk wore a grey jail uniform and showed no emotion. He faces first-degree murder charges and was being represented by a public defender, who declined to comment.

Police officials said their internal investigation will focus on the time it took for officers to respond to the home and whether dispatchers properly prioritized the woman's call, which is characterized in court paperwork as a "domestic disturbance."

Denver police have struggled with slowing response times in recent months as the department's ranks have shrunk due to retirements, departures and budget cuts.

Kristine Kirk told dispatchers that her husband was "talking about the end of the world, and he wanted her to shoot him," the documents say. She said he was hallucinating and scaring the couple's three young boys.

She told a call-taker there was a gun in the house, but it was in a safe. Dispatchers asked her a series of questions about her husband's medical history and possible drug use.

As the call continued, she said her husband retrieved the weapon and she began to scream, according to the documents. Police said she was shot about 12 to 13 minutes into the call.

Officials have refused to release the 911 call or dispatch records, citing the open investigation.

"Any time a person dies while communicating with Denver's emergency services we examine the circumstances to ensure that the incident was handled properly and we look for areas to improve upon," Sonny Jackson, a department spokesman, said in a statement.

He also said detectives are investigating whether Richard Kirk used marijuana before the shooting "based on evidence we found at the scene."

His father, also Richard Kirk, said the family is shocked, as the couple had shown no signs of marital distress. He visited the family in January and was unaware of any drug use by his son.

"It was a great family," he said. "He seemed very happy."

Kirk said police had not given him any information about how the 911 call was handled.