© 2024 Peoria Public Radio
A joint service of Bradley University and Illinois State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Man Accidentally Locked in Chicago Jail is Awarded $600K

A man who was accidently locked up in a Chicago jail for more than a day has been awarded a $600,000 settlement.  Farad Polk was visiting his son at the Cook County Jail in July 2014 when he was directed to "go down the hallway and turn to the right." 

He passed through a heavy steel door that slammed shut behind him. Authorities say the 8-foot-by-8-foot cell was a super-maximum security prisoners' visiting room.

Guards could not hear his cries for help. Polk was rescued by Chicago Fire Department personnel after he broke a sprinkler head. He was trapped in the room for 32 hours without food, water, bedding or a toilet.  He sued for emotional trauma.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.