A 65-year-old woman in Lexington has reached a $1.2 million settlement with the city and its police department after filing a lawsuit over a violent arrest outside a hospital in 2022.
Linda Trapp, who was homeless at the time, sued the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the Lexington Police Department and officer Myles Foster. She alleged wrongful arrest, emotional distress, severe injuries and delayed medical treatment following the incident.
The lawsuit was filed in March 2023 in Fayette Circuit Court, one year after the confrontation outside Saint Joseph East Hospital. Court records show the case was dismissed on Jan. 20 after both sides reached a tentative agreement. City officials later confirmed the settlement amount was $1.2 million.
Body camera footage from Foster shows the encounter escalating after police responded to the hospital. According to Trapp’s attorney John Reynolds, the officer’s lack of crisis intervention training played a key role in how the situation unfolded.
Trapp had arrived at the hospital on March 22, 2022, seeking treatment for a head injury following a fall. She also needed a COVID-19 test in order to return to the shelter where she was staying. Hospital staff refused the test and called police to remove her, according to the lawsuit.
After leaving the hospital, officers were heard on body camera footage making disparaging remarks and directing her toward the road. When Trapp responded, Foster ran toward her and forced her to the ground.
Trapp immediately complained of severe knee pain and repeatedly asked for an X-ray. Her lawsuit said she later asked Timothy Anderson for imaging, but he examined her briefly before walking away.
Trapp was then taken to the Fayette County Detention Center, where an X-ray revealed serious fractures in her tibia and fibula. She was later transported to University of Kentucky Hospital and underwent multiple surgeries to treat the injuries.
Her attorney said the broken leg will cause permanent physical effects.
Foster later retired from the police department in July 2024 due to occupational disability, though officials said it was not related to the incident involving Trapp.