Photo Released of Room Where Visitor Trapped in Jail

Man suing county after being locked in jail for 32 hours

The Cook County Sheriff's Department released a photo of the room where a man was trapped inside the Cook County Jail for more than 30 hours while trying to visit his son.

Farad Polk says he was trapped in the 8-by-8 box for 32 hours. He had to use the bathroom on the floor and sleep on concrete with no food and water, he said.

Polk was rescued after he broke a sprinkler head and was found by firefighters with the Chicago Fire Department.

He was visiting his son at the jail for the first time when the incident happened.

After being directed to "go down the hallway and turn to the right," Polk entered a door that had been propped open and closed behind him. He thought he was entering the visiting area to see his son, but the room is reportedly where people visit the “highest classification” super-maximum security prisoners and is not used on the weekends. Polk is suing the county for emotional trauma. He said he keeps reliving the traumatic event and hasn't been able to visit his son since the incident.

Cook County Jail spokesperson Cara Smith last week called the incident “the perfect storm” and said “a set of bizarre circumstances” allowed it to take place.

Polk says he was handcuffed and questioned before being released and needed stitches on one of his thumbs from breaking the sprinkler.

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