CITY HALL — A $1.25 million settlement proposed for the household of Dexter Reed — a person shot and killed by police after a site visitors cease final yr — was narrowly rejected by Metropolis Council Friday.
In a 15-12 resolution, the Metropolis Council’s finance committee voted in opposition to the contentious settlement negotiated by metropolis attorneys. A vote had been delayed since February as different multimillion greenback payouts to Chicagoans significantly injured by falling timber and in police automotive chases have been rapidly accredited.
Alderpeople disagreed whether or not the 26-year-old Reed or police have been at higher fault for the capturing that began as a minor site visitors cease.
4 officers shot at Reed 96 occasions in 41 seconds after they stopped him over an alleged seat-belt violation in West Humboldt Park in March 2024, in accordance with a preliminary investigation by the town’s Civilian Workplace of Police Accountability.
Reed fired first, hitting one officer in his forearm, after police shouted at him to roll down the home windows of his SUV and drew their weapons, in accordance with COPA. The officers have been a part of a plainclothes tactical group in an unmarked SUV with a document of complaints about unwarranted and aggressive site visitors stops.
The civil rights lawsuit in opposition to the town introduced by Reed’s mom Nicole Banks alleges officers “demonstrated a gross disregard for the sanctity of human life” after they fired practically 100 occasions in response to Reed, who suffered from psychological sickness and skilled hypervigilance.
Earlier than agreeing to settle, metropolis attorneys argued in courtroom Reed was “lawfully stopped” for driving a automotive with darkish tinted home windows and that he refused to adjust to orders, rolling the home windows up as a substitute of down, main officers to defensively draw their weapons. The town additionally denied the capturing was “race motivated,” in accordance with courtroom information.
Metropolis attorneys at Friday’s listening to stated the town must pay extra if the lawsuit was taken again to courtroom: $5 million in authorized charges and as much as one other $5 million within the occasion of a loss, in accordance with the Tribune.
“Abruptly now it’s about being fiscal watchdogs,” Ald. Marty Quinn (thirteenth), who voted in opposition to the settlement, informed Block Membership after the assembly. “The message needs to be you may’t shoot at Chicago police, interval.”
Reed’s loss of life drew nationwide media consideration after police physique cam footage from the capturing was printed by COPA, the town watchdog nonetheless investigating the case for potential officer misconduct.
The footage sparked native protests and one other wave of calls for by activists that police cease making pretextual site visitors stops, a method typically utilized in high-crime neighborhoods of pulling somebody over for a minor highway violation to seek for unregistered weapons or drug possession. Greater than 200 individuals, predominantly Black, have been injured by police after site visitors stops between 2018 and 2024, in accordance with a current Solar-Occasions investigation.
“What began as an unconstitutional and pretextual site visitors cease ended with the deadly capturing of Dexter Reed,” Andrew M. Stroth, the Reed household’s lawyer, stated in a press release Friday. “Whereas the household is disillusioned with immediately’s vote, they are going to proceed their pursuit for justice.”
Stroth beforehand informed Block Membership that any settlement with the town must embody “a dedication” to alter insurance policies round site visitors stops. Quinn informed Block Membership he had not been briefed on such an settlement.
The Police Division referred a request for remark to the town’s Legislation Division, which declined to remark.
After the Reed capturing, Police Supt. Larry Snelling stated his “focus is completely different” than having officers make site visitors stops, later providing to reform the insurance policies as a part of a federally mandated consent decree, which has been roundly criticized for transferring too slowly.
The officers concerned in Reed’s capturing are nonetheless on desk responsibility, however one, Alexandra Giampapa, has left the division, a Chicago police spokesperson informed Block Membership.
COPA chief Andrea Kersten — who was criticized by Snelling for talking publicly concerning the Reed case within the opening days of her investigation — left her place in February beneath strain she could possibly be fired after 16 of her present and former staff accused her of anti-police bias.
COPA’s investigation, beneath new interim management, have to be accomplished in September and will finish with a suggestion to Snelling that he hearth or self-discipline the officers who killed Reed.
The Reed household’s lawsuit in opposition to the town will now return to the negotiating desk or the courtroom for a jury trial.
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