Current:Home > InvestSeattle to pay nearly $2M after man dies of a heart attack at address wrongly on 911 blacklist -NextGenWealth
Seattle to pay nearly $2M after man dies of a heart attack at address wrongly on 911 blacklist
View
Date:2025-04-24 18:43:19
SEATTLE (AP) — The city of Seattle will pay $1.86 million to the family of a man who died of a heart attack after a caution note attached to his address delayed medics’ response.
William Yurek, 48, died in his town house in 2021 after his son called 911 and arriving Seattle Fire Department medics initially waited outside for law enforcement before entering, The Seattle Times reported.
The family alleged Yurek was wrongly included on a blacklist of people known to be hostile to police and fire crews. Yurek lived in the unit a couple of years before his death and the previous tenant had been on the outdated list, according to the lawsuit filed last year.
Medics were told to wait for a law enforcement escort, the lawsuit stated. As Yurek’s condition worsened, his then 13-year-old son called 911 again and was told help was on the way, even though medics had already arrived.
Medics then decided to enter the home without police, but despite their treatment, Yurek died.
“Once inside, medics did everything they could to save Will’s life,” the family’s attorney, Mark Lindquist, said in a news release. “The family has always been grateful to the medics who broke protocol to go in and do their best.”
The city has modified its operating guidelines on the caution notes, Seattle city attorney’s office spokesperson Tim Robinson told the newspaper, saying they expire after 365 days in the system, or get reviewed and renewed. Notes about the need for Seattle Police Department help because of alleged violent or threatening behavior are to be verified after every alarm dispatched to the address, Robinson said.
Relying on addresses, Lindquist said, puts renters and those who move often more at risk.
Seattle also agreed in August to pay $162,500 to a former 911 call center manager who in a lawsuit said he was wrongly punished for bringing up problems at work, including the dispatch practice of the blacklist.
A medical doctor said that without the delay, Yurek would have had a 25% chance of survival, Lindquist said.
“From the beginning, the family wanted the city to take responsibility,” Lindquist said. “That’s happened.”
veryGood! (879)
Related
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Details reveal the desperate attempt to save CEO Angela Chao, trapped in a submerged Tesla
- Maryland lawmakers consider new plan to rebuild Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness
- Why FKA Twigs Doesn't Regret Burning Off Her Skin After Bleached Eyebrows Mishap
- Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
- Facts about hail, the icy precipitation often encountered in spring and summer
- ‘Manhunt,’ about hunt for John Wilkes Booth, may make you wish you paid attention in history class
- Arkansas’ elimination of ‘X’ as option for sex on licenses and IDs endorsed by GOP lawmakers
- Tony Hawk drops in on Paris skateboarding and pushes for more styles of sport in LA 2028
- Kirk Cousins' recovery from torn Achilles leaves Falcons to play waiting game with star QB
Ranking
- JoJo Siwa reflects on Candace Cameron Bure feud: 'If I saw her, I would not say hi'
- 2 detectives found safe after disappearing while investigating Mexico's 2014 case of missing students
- 2 detectives found safe after disappearing while investigating Mexico's 2014 case of missing students
- Shohei Ohtani unveils his new wife in a photo on social media
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- A Mississippi police officer made an arrested man lick urine off jail floor, court document says
- AP Week in Pictures: North America
- 'Keep watching': Four-time Pro Bowl RB Derrick Henry pushes back on doubters after Ravens deal
Recommendation
Everything Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics was amplified. She thrived in the spotlight
Biden says he would sign TikTok bill that could ban app
NFL investigating Eagles for tampering. Did Philadelphia tamper with Saquon Barkley?
Swimsuits for All Makes Waves with Their 50% off Sale, Including $8 Bikini Tops, $16 One-Pieces & More
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning to Host Opening Ceremony for 2024 Paris Olympics
Tom Hollander goes deep on 'Feud' finale, why he's still haunted by Truman Capote
As threats to Black cemeteries persist, a movement to preserve their sacred heritage gains strength