The attorney for a 99-year-old Milwaukee woman who was beaten in her own home after a delayed 911 response is due to give an update on Wednesday.
Chris MacGillis is expected to speak at 11am local time on September 23, although he has not disclosed what he intends to announce. His comments come after an internal investigation found that two emergency call-takers breached protocol while handling calls made during the attack.
The woman, known publicly as Shirley, was assaulted by a stranger at her home on July 27. A medical-alert company contacted Milwaukee’s Department of Emergency Communications twice in the early hours, but police were not sent to the property until she called 911 herself almost three hours later.
Prosecutors have charged 23-year-old Joseph Guadalupe Macias in connection with the attack. He is accused of breaking into Shirley’s home and beating her; the case remains ongoing.
Milwaukee 911 delay under investigation
Records from the city investigation show that the first Life Alert call was answered by Stephanie Hughes at 5.14am. She reported hearing what sounded like a physical fight and a man threatening to harm a woman, but changed the call classification only from a welfare check to a threat.
Investigators concluded that the incident should instead have been recorded as a battery, which would have prompted a more urgent response.
A second Life Alert call was answered by Arriana Cadotte-Merced at about 5.22am. Despite information indicating that an elderly woman was in distress and a man was threatening her, the call was not upgraded to a battery.
Shirley eventually managed to call 911 shortly before 8am. That call was classified as a battery, and police arrived at about 8.23am.
Hughes and Cadotte-Merced resigned before they could be dismissed. James Ireton, the Milwaukee Police District 6 dispatcher who was also investigated, was found not to have breached policy because he relied on the classifications entered by the call-takers.
MacGillis has previously said Shirley suffered serious injuries, spent nine days in hospital and was later moved to an acute care facility. He has not ruled out legal action over the handling of the emergency calls.
The city’s Department of Emergency Communications has said a third employee involved in the response will receive further training. MacGillis’s latest update is expected to provide a further indication of whether Shirley’s family intends to pursue a claim against the city.
