Police complete investigation in gorilla's death
CINCINNATI — Police have wrapped up their investigation without recommending charges against the mother of a 3-year-old boy who witnesses said fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo, according to a source close to the investigation.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in an interview that the Cincinnati Police Department asked his office to look at the investigation, and he agreed. He expects that review will happen Thursday, with a possible determination made by Friday.
“I will read everything and decide what we’re doing,” Deters said.
Since Saturday, police had been looking at whether the boy's mother, 32-year-old Michelle Gregg, could be held criminally responsible for what happened. Gregg's name was included in an unredacted police report obtained Wednesday by The Enquirer.
A 911 call Gregg made Saturday afternoon as a 450-pound gorilla dragged her son through a shallow moat was one of several released Wednesday.
“He’s dragging my son,” a panicked Gregg told a dispatcher. “I can’t watch this ... I can’t watch.”
Slain gorilla Harambe may still sire offspring
The boy suffered minor injuries. The 17-year-old silverback gorilla was shot and killed, zoo officials said, to ensure the boy’s safety.
During the 50-second call, Gregg told her son repeatedly to remain calm. At one point, she said the male silverback gorilla was “standing over” her son.
“Be calm,” she shouted to her son. “Be calm. Be calm.”
Another caller, an unidentified woman, can be heard urging others at the scene to “try and calm down” and "be quiet," to avoid agitating the gorilla.
“He slammed the baby into the wall,” the woman told a dispatcher. Moments later, she added: “He’s taking the baby into the cave. ... He’s dragging him from one end to the other. Oh my, God. ... He’s flinging the child around.”
The call ended after Cincinnati firefighters arrived.
The entire incident lasted less than 10 minutes. The first 911 call was made at 3:52 p.m., according to police dispatch records.
The boy suffered “a concussion and a few scrapes,” Gregg said in a Facebook post. He was treated and released Saturday night from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. A statement released Wednesday said he was further examined by his family doctor and "is still doing well."
The Gregg family's statement said: "We are thankful to the Cincinnati Zoo for their actions taken to protect our child. We are also very appreciative for the expressions of concern and support that have been sent to us. Some have offered money to the family, which we do not want and will not accept.
"If anyone wishes to make a gift, we recommend a donation to the Cincinnati Zoo in Harambe’s name.”
The family is continuing to decline all interview or meeting requests, family spokeswoman Gail Myers said.
Gregg is employed as site manager of Little Blossoms Academy in College Hill. It is one of four early childhood education centers for children ages 3 to 5 that are operated by Cincinnati Union Bethel, a longstanding Cincinnati social service agency.
Vehr Communications sent The Enquirer a statement printed on Little Blossoms Academy letterhead.
“The tragic event that happened at the Cincinnati Zoo over the holiday weekend hit very close to home for Little Blossoms Academy," the statement said. "The child who made his way into the gorilla enclosure is the son of our site manager. She is at home with her son as he recovers from his injuries.
“The Little Blossoms Academy family is thankful that the child is safe. And, with the rest of the world, we are mourning the loss of the Cincinnati Zoo’s beloved silverback.
The education center also asked that "both the media and the public respect our learning environment and the privacy of our staff and families."
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about the incident Tuesday while on Air Force One.
He said he’s not aware of any official White House position. He acknowledged that many around the country have thei own personal opinions about “what can only be described as a tragedy.”
He said it’s not clear to him that there’s any federal role in response to the incident.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is conducting an investigation regarding the safety and operation of the zoo. Hamilton County commissioners on Wednesday said they will ask their appointees to the zoo board to conduct an investigation into the gorilla's death.
A family spokesman said there are no plans to pursue a lawsuit against the zoo.
The 911 calls do not shed light on why the boy apparently climbed over a 3-foot barrier and then went through several feet of thick bushes before dropping about 15 feet into a moat.
Two female gorillas in the exhibit responded to calls of zookeepers to go into an inside area. The male silverback, Harambe, did not.
Contributing: Dan Horn and Amir Samarghandi, The Cincinnati Enquirer