A Seattle man tragically passed away from a heart attack, with his 13-year-old son making two frantic 911 calls, indicating that his father was "barely breathing." The incident occurred on November 2, 2021, and the family has since filed a lawsuit regarding the heartbreaking turn of events.
According to the family's lawsuit, before the young boy made the second 911 call, medics had already arrived at his father's apartment but were outside, waiting. The complaint, filed in Washington state Superior Court in King County, details that first responders entered the apartment approximately 13 minutes later.
Their efforts to administer CPR and use a defibrillator on William Yurek were ultimately unsuccessful. Yurek, a father of four children, tragically passed away at the age of 46.
The delay in providing medical assistance to Yurek was due to the medics awaiting a police escort. This delay occurred because Yurek was mistakenly on an outdated "blacklist" of individuals considered hostile to first responders. The complaint explains that a previous tenant had been on this list, leading to the unfortunate misunderstanding.
Yurek's apartment was marked with a "caution note" due to reported hostility towards Seattle Fire and Police. However, one year after Yurek's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Seattle, they reached a settlement of $1,860,000 on October 2, 2023. This resolution was announced by personal injury attorney Mark Lindquist, who represented Yurek's family.
Lindquist expressed that the family sought justice, accountability, and changes to ensure that such an incident wouldn't happen to others. Their lawsuit succeeded in achieving these goals. Yurek's three minor children will receive compensation from the settlement when they come of age. Yurek's son, who made the 911 calls and is now 15, has aspirations of attending law school in the future, and this settlement will aid in his education.
Experts who reviewed the case noted that had Seattle's blacklist protocol not delayed the medics' response, Yurek would have had a 25% chance of survival. An expert testifying on behalf of Seattle argued that Yurek's odds of survival were even lower due to prior drug use and pre-existing medical conditions. Yurek had been in recovery from addiction before his untimely passing.
Following the family's lawsuit, Seattle revised its blacklist guidelines. According to the city attorney's office, the guidelines were modified before the settlement. Now, "caution notes" about Seattle residents will expire after one year or will be reviewed and renewed.
Furthermore, notes regarding the need for Seattle Police Department assistance due to violent or threatening behavior will be verified after each dispatched alarm, and they will be removed if the occupant no longer resides at the address.
In the end, Yurek's family believes that the case has been resolved justly and fairly.
In another news, a man who unleashed gunfire inside a New York City subway train and then disappeared into the panicked crowd is scheduled to be sentenced Thursday for the morning rush-hour attack that injured 10 people and triggered a citywide manhunt. See detailed story here
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