Evanston Woman in Coma Since January Police Encounter: Family Files Federal Lawsuit Naming Six Officers, Demands $250,000

The Lawsuit

The family of Felicea Williams, 42, has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Evanston and six Evanston police officers, alleging excessive force and failure to intervene during a January encounter that left Williams in a coma.

The complaint was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. It names officers Todorche Ginchevski, Jack Gutekanst, Hoo Park, Amanda Fernandez, Michael Pagan, and Jonathan Kurzeja as defendants.

"My daughter went out that night and never came home," said Jacqueline Hoffman, Williams' mother and the plaintiff in the suit. "Nearly five months later, she is still fighting for her life. We filed this lawsuit because we need answers, and because Felicea deserves justice. We deserve to know what happened to her."

The family is seeking at least $250,000 in damages, according to the court filing.

What Happened That Night

The incident occurred on January 5 in the 1100 block of Howard Street, near the Evanston-Chicago border. Evanston police responded to two simultaneous incidents after 9:30 p.m. According to police, two men were assaulting Williams while Chicago police responded to a stabbing at the American Ale House across the street.

Williams' family previously told reporters that Williams has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was likely experiencing a manic episode at the time.

Police said Williams was bleeding from her face, ran into traffic, and attempted to enter an uninvolved vehicle on Howard Street. Officers ordered her to stop and attempted to detain her. Police said she spat blood and saliva into an officer's mouth and tried to bite an officer's ungloved hand.

Body camera footage obtained by Evanston Now shows the sequence of events:

• At approximately 9:38 p.m., officers Ginchevski and Gutekanst arrived and approached Williams as she ran into the street.
• Ginchevski made first physical contact. He stated on camera that Williams spat in his mouth. Gutekanst yelled that she bit him near the leg.
• Gutekanst punched Williams approximately eight times in the upper back as officers struggled to handcuff her.
• Officers Fernandez and others arrived shortly after. Williams was heard repeatedly saying "oh god" as officers attempted to place handcuffs on her wrists and ankles.
• Around 9:46 p.m., officers told Williams to "stop hitting your head on the ground." Fernandez instructed colleagues to keep Williams on her side and not face down.
• By 9:48 p.m., officers forced a spit hood over Williams' head after she spat.
• At 9:52 p.m., paramedics arrived and began moving Williams to a stretcher.
• A paramedic asked, "Is she breathing?" before performing a sternum rub.
• Officer Pagan entered the ambulance and removed Williams' handcuffs while paramedics performed CPR.

The federal complaint alleges Williams was "visibly grunting and gasping for air in an obvious attempt to save her own life" while officers detained her. The suit claims officers "ignored Ms. Williams' obvious signs of distress and inability to breathe" and that the "unauthorized physical contact was the proximate cause of Ms. Williams' cardiac arrest and subsequent coma."

What Comes Next

Williams was transported to St. Francis Hospital and has remained in a coma since January. She was later charged with three counts of aggravated battery of a police officer.

Evanston police placed two officers on administrative leave during an internal review. The department later determined the officers' actions were "within department policy." Both officers remain on active duty.

"For months, this family was forced to fight for even the most basic information about what happened to Felicea," said attorney Victor P. Henderson of The Cochran Firm Chicago. "It took legal action to obtain portions of the evidence, and what we have seen only deepens our concerns. While some materials were provided, we still do not have the full set of records needed to understand what happened to this young woman. We are getting fragments, not answers."

The City of Evanston and Evanston police issued a statement on the lawsuit: "The City has not yet been served with the lawsuit and does not comment on pending litigation."

This lawsuit replaces a state court filing the family made in April over the city's failure to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request. That earlier suit was dropped after the city released documents related to the request, according to Evanston Now.

Williams' family and attorneys said they plan to continue pursuing legal action and are calling for accountability in connection with the circumstances that led to her injuries.