A Chicago woman has died after spending five months in a coma following a confrontation with police during her arrest in January. Felicea Williams, 42, was arrested on Jan. 5 near the Chicago-Evanston border following an altercation at an establishment. Her family has since filed a federal lawsuit alleging that excessive force used by officers during her arrest and a subsequent failure to provide medical aid led to her death.
According to Evanston police, officers responded to a scene where Williams was described as fleeing into oncoming traffic, bleeding from facial injuries, and attempting to enter a moving vehicle. Authorities stated that Williams resisted arrest, allegedly spitting blood and saliva at an officer and attempting to bite another officer's hand. During the struggle, officers used force to detain her, at which point she became unresponsive. Emergency personnel performed life-saving measures, but Williams remained in a coma, never recovering from what doctors described as severe brain injury consistent with oxygen deprivation.
Williams was charged with three counts of aggravated battery against police officers prior to her death. Her family, however, disputes the police account and states Williams had a history of serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and postpartum depression, believing she was experiencing a psychiatric crisis at the time of the encounter.
The federal lawsuit, filed on June 1, names the city of Evanston and six officers as defendants. The complaint alleges that officers used excessive force while restraining Williams and failed to intervene when she began experiencing a medical emergency, which the family claims was the direct cause of her cardiac arrest and subsequent coma. Attorneys for the family contend that during the struggle, Williams went into cardiac arrest, leading to a lack of oxygen to her brain and irreversible damage.
Body camera footage released in the case reportedly shows multiple officers holding Williams on the ground as she struggles to break free. In the video, an officer can be heard saying, "Don't bite me," as officers attempted to handcuff her and placed a spit hood on her.
Attorneys for Williams's family stated that their pursuit of accountability will continue despite her death. "Whilst Felicea's life has ended, this family's pursuit of accountability has not," said attorney Victor Henderson. "We remain committed to ensuring that every fact surrounding this tragedy is brought to light through the legal process."
Evanston officials previously stated that the officers involved were placed on administrative leave following the incident, as per department policy, but have since returned to duty. An internal review conducted by the city concluded that the officers' use of force was justified. The Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force was also notified.
Williams's death is expected to alter the ongoing civil case, potentially allowing for wrongful death claims as her family seeks accountability for the events that led to her fatal injuries. Her mother, Jacqueline Hoffman, had previously expressed her anguish, stating, "my daughter and I go to see her (Williams) and to see her in that state is heart rendering."