Shirley remains in rehabilitation as Milwaukee changes staffing and training following the hourslong delay in sending emergency help.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Nearly two months after a violent attack inside her Milwaukee home, a 99-year-old woman remains in rehabilitation while the city’s emergency communications department confronts how repeated calls for help failed to bring responders for nearly three hours.
The woman, identified only as Shirley because her family is protecting her privacy, had lived independently before the July 27 attack, according to her attorneys. She is now working to regain mobility after suffering serious injuries. Her recovery has become intertwined with a broader examination of Milwaukee’s 911 system, where officials say employees mishandled early reports from a medical alert company.
The emergency began shortly after 5:15 a.m. when a third-party medical alert service contacted the Milwaukee Department of Emergency Communications. Information passed to call takers indicated that a physical confrontation might be taking place inside Shirley’s south-side home. The company contacted the department again minutes later, but no immediate police or medical response followed. Shirley ultimately called 911 herself at about 7:50 a.m. and reported that she had been attacked.
Police and emergency medical crews were dispatched after Shirley’s direct call. Prosecutors later charged 23-year-old Joseph Macias with battery to an elder, first-degree reckless injury and burglary. The criminal charges are accusations, and he has not been convicted. The investigation of his alleged actions is distinct from the city’s review of how the emergency communications center handled the requests for assistance.
The delayed response quickly triggered scrutiny of the Department of Emergency Communications. Two call takers were initially placed on leave. After the department completed an internal investigation, Director Tony Bueno announced that two employees involved were no longer with the agency. Local reports said the two resigned in lieu of termination. Another employee was directed to receive additional training.
Bueno publicly acknowledged that the department failed Shirley. The agency also announced changes involving training and performance expectations, although officials have not publicly released every detail of the internal investigation. The department has said employees identified in investigative findings must have an opportunity to review them before certain records are released.
The breakdown occurred during a relatively new chapter for Milwaukee’s emergency communications operations. Police and fire communications were consolidated into a unified city emergency communications center in February 2025. The department has promoted the consolidation as a way to improve coordination and response times through shared systems and updated 911 technology. The handling of Shirley’s calls has now provided a serious test of those procedures.
At a Wednesday news conference, Shirley’s attorneys said the issue cannot be reduced solely to the mistakes of two employees. They said they want to know whether call takers received adequate training, whether supervisors recognized problems in real time and whether procedures for calls from third-party medical alert services were sufficient. The attorneys are seeking investigative records from the city as they evaluate what happened.
Shirley’s condition also remains central to the case. Her attorneys said she suffered extensive injuries and continues to work through rehabilitation to regain some of her former mobility. They released photographs showing the extent of her injuries but did not bring Shirley or her family to the news conference. The firm has withheld her surname and has not released additional private medical information beyond what it says is necessary to describe her recovery.
The Department of Emergency Communications says corrective measures are underway, while Shirley’s attorneys continue seeking records and more detailed answers. No civil lawsuit had been filed as of Thursday. Shirley remained in rehabilitation, and the city’s handling of the calls continues to face scrutiny even after its internal personnel investigation concluded.
Author note: Last updated September 3, 2026.