Politics

City Lawyers Recommend Paying $5M to Woman Who Lost Both Legs to Frostbite After CPD Ignored Pleas for Help

Chicago taxpayers should pay $5 million to a woman who lost both legs to frostbite after Chicago police officers ignored her pleas for help after getting locked out of her apartment in 2021, city lawyers recommended.

There was snow on the ground and the temperature hovered around 5 degrees in the early morning hours of Feb. 8, 2021, when Briana Keys, now 39, got locked out of her Back of the Yards apartment, according to her lawsuit.

Keys, who was not wearing winter clothes, called both 911 and 311 for help, but got no response, according to her lawsuit. A neighbor also called 911 when Keys asked for help, but by then she had started walking to the nearest police station, approximately a mile away.

As Keys walked, a police vehicle stopped and she asked officers for help, but received no assistance, according to her lawsuit.

In an online fundraiser set up by her sister, Keys said those officers told she could not enter their vehicle.

In all, Keys spent three hours walking to the police station, suffering from severe frostbite, according to her lawsuit. When she reached the Wentworth (2nd) Police Station, which is a seven-minute drive from her apartment, officers did not immediately get medical attention for Keys.

Eventually, both of Keys’ legs were amputated below the knee, according to her sister’s online fundraiser, which generated $8,600.

The City Council’s Finance Committee is scheduled to weigh city lawyers’ recommendation to settle Keys’ lawsuit on Monday, and a final vote by the full City Council could come as soon as Wednesday.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]

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