MILWAUKEE — New details have been released in the case of a 99-year-old woman who was attacked in her home in July, then waited over two hours for help, due to an improperly handled 911 call.
The woman has been identified by only her first name, Shirley. She was beaten in her home on the south side of Milwaukee in July.
Preliminary evidence shows her life alert company called 911 twice during the initial attack, and during the second call, let the dispatcher listen to the beating as it was happening.
However, it was allegedly improperly labelled. Shirley herself crawled to her phone hours later and called 911 a third time.
“Our ​client ​literally ​army ​crawled, having ​to ​try ​to ​save ​her ​own ​life, battered ​on ​the ​ground,​ because ​no ​one ​had ​come ​yet. ​The ​dispatch ​center ​had ​not ​coded ​and ​alerted ​this ​as ​a ​high ​intensity ​response,” says Chris MacGillis, the lawyer for Shirley and her family.
23-year-old Joseph Guadalupe Macias has been charged in the attack. Shirley’s legal team says the two did not know each other, and his motive is still unknown.
Shirley spent 9 days in the hospital before she was transferred to a rehab facility. She will likely need continued, long-term care, and will not be able to live independently ever again.
MacGillis Law Group says a lawsuit is on the table. However, they have not received the results of the internal investigation.
“If the ​rules ​are ​followed ​to ​prevent ​systemic ​failures, ​the ​probability ​of ​this ​type ​of ​thing ​happening ​becomes ​essentially ​zero. ​A ​normal ​safe ​call ​center prioritizes ​training. A ​normal ​safe ​call ​center prioritizes ​supervision,” says MacGillis.
MacGillis also says federal action could be on the table, due to a $50,000 cap Wisconsin places on lawsuits against municipalities. Shirley’s healthcare needs have surpassed that.
MacGillis says the Milwaukee City Attorney’s Office has been responsive and communicative, however, he does not have a timeline for when he will receive the results of the internal investigation.
Two 911 call-takers have already resigned.
