NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A Newport News family plans to sue after they say Newport News emergency personnel failed to save a man’s life.
Newport News Police say Lakavious Charity shot Quandrell Williams multiple times last October.
When Newport News EMS and police officers arrived on Garden Drive on October 15th, they found Williams outside with multiple gunshot wounds.
Emergency responders took Williams to the hospital sometime after 5:40 a.m., but what happened in between is being called into question.
A neighbor who did not want to be identified told 13News Now at the time, she saw Williams lying on the ground for an hour, still alive, before an ambulance took him to the hospital.
"It was definitely about an hour and some change before anybody took him away. I remember asking, 'Why was he still out there? Why wasn't anybody giving him help?"'
The 39-year-old’s family has now filed a letter of intent to seek damages. Their attorney, Edward Fiorella, sent the letter to the Newport News City Attorney on April 2nd calling the actions of the city’s Emergency Medical Services and Police Department employees who responded that morning negligent.
They allege emergency personnel failed to administer adequate medical care, which they claim contributed to Williams’ death 10 days later. They’re now asking for financial compensation.
"These claims could include allegations for gross negligence, willful indifference and punitive damages," Fiorella said in the letter.
This comes months after the city acknowledged emergency personnel did not live up to Newport News’ Standards of Conduct while responding to the 39-year-old man’s injuries.
A city spokesperson said the city took “appropriate corrective action,” but did not specify what that meant.
13News Now has asked a city spokesperson if the first responders involved are still employed by the city, but we have not received an answer, nor have they told us why the response is considered inadequate.
"There are no words to convey our sorrow for Mr. Williams’ death. His homicide remains an ongoing criminal investigation that we hope will conclude in the successful prosecution of his killer," said the spokesperson at the time.
Lakavious Charity, the alleged killer, is charged with second-degree murder.