PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – Pamela Cooper, 48, was a loving and caring wife who dedicated her life to helping strangers in need. Cooper spent more than 20 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. But her life came to an unexpected end on March 5th, and her husband is convinced that the city of Phoenix is to blame. “It was stupid and unprofessional,” said Joel Cooper. “It showed how much they care about employees – they don’t – and it cost me, my wife. I’ll have to live with that for the rest of my life. ”The family has just filed a $ 35 million lawsuit against the city of Phoenix for culpable homicide and gross negligence. The city is accused of forcing Cooper to work overtime on Feb.27, despite repeated complaints that she was not feeling well. Cooper recently recovered from COVID-19 and had taken 6 weeks off work. She also had a long history of asthma. “The city has a written policy when an employee has health concerns that need serious attention,” said Cooper’s attorney Jonathan Michaels. “An employee is supposed to go home immediately, and this is directly against the policy. It’s utterly unfortunate. ”According to the complaint,“ Cooper declared … that she felt ill, that her oxygen levels had dropped significantly … that she was having difficulty breathing. ”Cooper’s supervisor reportedly forced her to stay and a 16- The claim is that Cooper told the supervisor, “I could die, but OK.” Supervisor’s alleged response. “Please no. She was taken to a nearby hospital and received life support. Cooper died one.” Week later. According to Joel Cooper, the City of Phoenix must be held accountable to keep this from happening again. “It must have consequences,” said Cooper. “It cost someone their life for the simple fact that they don’t follow protocol and sent him home because he wasn’t feeling well. It’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous and there is no excuse for it at all, “said a spokesman for the Sta dt Phoenix Phoenix you cannot comment on pending claims or legal disputes. However, the spokesman stated that the control center staff work 4 days a week in 10-hour shifts and if the minimum staffing requirement is not met, staff may have to come on their days off or work longer hours, but not when they are “It’s sad that someone like her isn’t here anymore,” said Cooper. “We need more people like her.” Jason Barry is best known for his Dirty Dining Report, which airs Friday at 6:30 p.m. on CBS 5. He’s also the storyteller behind CBS 5’s Pay It Forward, which airs every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Copyright 2021 KPHO / KTVK (KPHO Broadcasting.) Corporation. All rights reserved.
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