Family sues Evanston over police encounter that left woman in coma

EVANSTON, Ill. - Warning: Some viewers may find the images in this report graphic. 

The family of an Evanston woman is demanding answers after she was left in a coma following an encounter with police in January.

For the past three months, loved ones say they’ve sought information through an attorney — but those requests went unanswered.

Now, their attorney has filed a lawsuit against the City of Evanston, alleging violations of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

What we know:

Felicea Williams, 42, suffered extensive brain damage and remains unresponsive after an incident on Jan. 5, 2026. 

According to the Evanston Police Department, at approximately 9:38 p.m., police say they responded to the 1100 block of Howard Street, where two incidents were unfolding at the same time — on the border of Evanston and Chicago. 

They say two men were allegedly assaulting Williams, while just across the street, Chicago police were responding to a stabbing at American Ale House — an incident Evanston police claim also involved Williams.

Williams' family says she has schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and was likely experiencing a manic episode.

Upon arriving at the scene, Evanston police say they observed Williams bleeding from the face. She then ran into the street and attempted to force her way into an uninvolved vehicle on Howard Street, according to officials. 

As officers ordered her to stop and attempted to detain her, Williams spat blood and saliva into an officer’s mouth and tried to bite the officer’s ungloved hand, police say. 

Officials say she continued to resist, and they used force to subdue her. While paramedics were placing her on a gurney, Williams became unresponsive, police say. First responders attempted to resuscitate her before she was rushed to the hospital.

"Her oxygen was blocked off, the doctor told me, for 22.1 minutes. So her brain is damaged 75 percent. She's on a feeding tube, she was on a ventilator, now I have to put her on a trach," said Jacqueline Hoffman, Williams' mother. "She was around 90 pounds, she's about 75 pounds now."

Victor Henderson, the family attorney, says he has received information to indicate that as many as 10 officers were involved in subduing Williams. 

"How many men or people or police officers does it take to subdue a 90-pound woman? One. Maybe two. Maybe three," said Henderson, managing partner at The Cochran Firm. 

The Evanston Police Department said it notified the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force of the incident. The officers involved were initially placed on administrative leave, but the department later determined their use of force was within policy, officials say. 

"The Evanston Police Department continues to investigate the initial incident in which Williams was identified as the victim. This remains an open investigation; therefore, additional information may be available at the conclusion of the case," officials shared in a statement. 

Williams was charged with three counts of aggravated battery to a police officer, according to Evanston police.

She remains in a medical facility in a coma. 

Dig deeper:

On Wednesday, The Cochran Firm filed a lawsuit against the City of Evanston, arguing that it violated the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). 

Henderson, during a press conference on Thursday, questioned why it took Evanston officials 90 days to respond to his FOIA request asking for audio, video, and other details from the night of the incident. 

He says it was only after filing the lawsuit that he received an extensive amount of information from Evanston officials Thursday morning — files that include body camera footage, and that The Cochran Firm shared with FOX Chicago. 

"And to think, as we do, that there was a cover-up, and an unwillingness to respond to this particular family, so they could find out what happened to their sister and to their daughter, that Evanston would not respond to us without us having to file a lawsuit, something is not right," Henderson said.

Williams' loved ones have shared photos of her before and after the incident. 

"What I can tell you is that those pictures are horrendous. Horrendous. Heart-wrenching. Bad," Henderson said. 

Hoffman says it is now up to her to seek justice for Williams and to be her voice. 

"Even when me and my daughter go there and visit her, just to see her in that state, it's heart-rending to see her," Hoffman said. 

What's next:

Williams' attorney is combing through the files he received from Evanston officials, including body camera video.