A father who was accidentally trapped in a Chicago jail for over 24 hours has settled with Cook County for $600,000.
The Chicago Tribune reports the mishap involving Farad Polk happened in July 2014 when he went to visit his son. After the visit, Polk was instructed to “go down the hallway and turn to the right” towards the exit. Instead, he was lead to an open door that closed shut behind him. The “exit” was a renovated waiting room for the jail’s maximum security division. After two hours, Polk realized he was trapped.
Stuck for over a day without food or water, Polk used his hands to break a sprinkler, causing the room to flood and the Chicago Fire Department to rescue him. After suing for emotional trauma, the county settled the case on Monday (Nov. 28). At the time of the incident, the executive director of the jail said Polk was able to visit his son anytime.
Cook County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said Polk was found safe.