David Axelrod Draws Backlash Over 911 Complaint About Unconscious Man in Chicago Heat Emergency
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 2
David Axelrod Draws Backlash Over 911 Complaint About Unconscious Man in Chicago Heat Emergency
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 2
Summary
David Axelrod said a 911 operator refused to send help for an elderly, apparently homeless man lying unconscious outside the Art Institute of Chicago during a heat emergency, triggering a wave of online criticism.
Axelrod wrote that the operator asked whether the man was asking for help and declined to dispatch anyone when told he was not, leaving the man on the museum steps in the noon sun.
Art Institute security had already awakened the man three times and urged him to move into the shade, Axelrod said; the museum later confirmed a security officer checked on him and that he left on his own.
Conservative figures used the episode to attack Democratic-run cities, while Chicago mayoral candidate Susana Mendoza called the response "awful and unacceptable" and said the city should aid people even if help is refused.
The flare-up lands as Chicago faces renewed scrutiny over public safety and homelessness despite Mayor Brandon Johnson's five-year plan, tied to a broader $1.2 billion housing initiative.