Crime & Safety
New Haven Sued After Woman Mauled To Death
The estate of a woman mauled to death by dogs in 2016 is claiming the city was negligent in dispatching emergency services to the scene.
NEW HAVEN, CT — The estate of a woman mauled to death by two dogs is suing the City of New Haven. The lawsuit claims that the city and the 911 Public Service Answering Point were negligent in the way they handled dispatching emergency crews to the scene of the attack.
Jocelyn Winfrey, 53, died June 27, 2016 after she succumbed to her injuries from the June 20 attack. Winfrey went to her friend Hamilton Hicks' Ella T. Grasso Boulevard residence. Hicks said that Winfrey walked on to his property and to the fenced-in area when the dogs turned on her and attacked.
Dogs Pirate and Nomad were euthanized.
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The city changed its policy regarding responding to animal attack reports after the incident.
The lawsuit claims that a city dispatcher marked the call as a low priority after one call and that it took more than 11 minutes to dispatch police after a second 911 call was made with more details of the attack, according to the New Haven Independent.
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The city declined to comment to the Independent, citing a policy of not commenting on ongoing litigation.
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