Milwaukee attorneys threaten lawsuit over delayed 911 response to elderly woman's attack

Attorneys for a 99-year-old Milwaukee woman, Shirley, are threatening a lawsuit against the City of Milwaukee if the Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) does not implement systemic policy changes. The legal action follows a July incident where Shirley was attacked in her home by a stranger, yet first responders did not arrive for several hours despite multiple 911 calls.

An internal investigation revealed that two DEC employees resigned following the incident. Records show that calls made by a third-party medical alert company, Life Alert, were not classified as a battery, which would have triggered an immediate response. One call taker reported hearing what sounded like a physical fight and threats, but the call was not upgraded beyond a threat level. Another call taker stated she lacked sufficient confirmation to classify the incident as a battery based on her training.

Attorney Chris MacGillis stated that the investigation suggests employees were mistrained, noting that staff were reportedly instructed by supervisors not to classify calls as battery unless the caller could personally witness the physical assault. The victim's legal team has given the city 30 days to discuss meaningful policy changes before proceeding with a lawsuit.