Dallas City Council approves more money to fight 911 delay lawsuit

DALLAS - The city of Dallas is pouring more money into a legal battle with the family of a woman who was murdered after it took police almost an hour to respond to her 911 call.

Deanna Cook's death made national news in 2012 after she was heard pleading for her life on a 911 call. Once officers finally arrived, they left after no one came to the door. Two days later, her body was found.

Four years after her daughter's murder, Vickie Cook is still dealing with the pain. Her family is suing the city of Dallas, claiming discrimination is a reason for a failed response to her desperate call for help.

“They didn't kick the door down,” the mom said. “No one came to the door, and they left."

Cook had called 911 while being attacked by her estranged husband. The call is still chilling to hear. Yet despite her pleas for her life, it took police 50 minutes to get to her home. Officers made a stop at a 7-Eleven along the way.

Cook's estranged husband, Delvechio Patrick, was eventually arrested, tried and convicted of murder. Her family now says they want the city to make things right.

“Our Mayor admitted that the system failed my sister,” said Karletha Cook Gundy.

Nick Pittman, the family attorney, says the city has never agreed to meet with them or offered to resolve the case in any way.

“It's the strangest thing I've ever seen. They've wanted to talk about how to leave a legacy for Deanna, how to do things so this doesn't happen to someone else,” he said. “Instead of trying to meet with them to come up with ways to prevent this from happening to anyone else, the city keeps putting money into more lawyers."

On Wednesday, the Dallas City Council approved spending $75,000 more dollars on the case, bringing the total to $355,000. Mayor Mike Rawlings declined to comment.

Councilman Philip Kingston says the city has to fight the lawsuit.

“We don't have a choice to not participate in the case,” he said. “We don't have a choice to roll over.”

Cook's lawsuit alleges that police would not have treated the 911 call or welfare check request by a person in an affluent part of town the same way. If proven, that would be a violation of the constitutional right to equal protection.