Teen Left Disabled After Police Chase
When a Chicago Police officer attempted to pull over a Volkswagen driver who was rolling through a stop sign, Nathen, who was fifteen years old at the time, was sitting in the backseat. Khalil Raggs, the driver, refused to stop and pursued the officer for several blocks before the officer broke up the chase. Moments later the car slammed into another at the intersection of Grand and Damen.
Nathan was the one with the most significant injuries out of the five people in that Volkswagen. Illinois law could hold the city accountable for his medical costs even though the driver was mostly the one to blame.
Jones was severely injured in the collision. According to the lawsuit, he suffered serious brain trauma as a result of a broken skull. When he arrived at the hospital, his condition was critical, and he was unconscious. According to the lawsuit, surgery was used to remove and replace a part of Jones’ skull in an effort to save his life. He also suffered from several cerebral hemorrhages, which caused the brain tissue to die over time.
Nathan was left without the ability to walk, talk, feed, or dress himself and now needs 24-hour medical attention and nursing care for the remainder of his life. His mother is currently his main caretaker.
Following the crash, Raggs was found guilty of multiple felony counts of aggravated reckless driving as well as aggravated unauthorized use of a firearm. Police discovered a pistol in the Volkswagen following the crash. He was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.
Police officers violating the policy
The CPD’s car pursuit police policy prohibits officers from starting a pursuit for infractions of minor traffic laws. The Council of Chicago spoke out that the lawsuit states that the three officers were involved in the chase. Neither of them informed their superiors about it.
Here in Chicago, a supervising patrol sergeant officially lodged a complaint against the driving officer involved in the collision on April 11. Nonetheless, the lawsuit asserts that the officer has still not received official consequences.
The Chicago police still employ the three cops. One of the police officers has been taken off the city’s payroll while awaiting disciplinary action from the Police Board.
Attorney Lance D. Northcutt of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard stated.
“Bad things happen when such individuals disregard their training, abandon the policy, and decide that pursuing a minor traffic violation is risking human life. In this case, what happened to Nathen Jones unbelievable.”
$45 Million Settlement Approved
The Chicago City Council overwhelmingly spoke out and authorized the settlement on Monday. Making it the biggest settlement in the city’s history. The committee authorized the historic compensation for the family of Nathen Jones.
It is also the largest payout of any kind paid by the city since a $50 million settlement of claims filed by the families of six people killed in a fire at the Cook County Administration Building at 69 W. Washington St., claiming a botched response by firefighters.
“He was not in control of that car, he was not in control of what was happening to him. ” lawyer Lance Northcutt stated on Monday on behalf of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard.
Will The Money Cover All Expenses?
Consequently, the payment was proposed by the city’s law department and will approximately cover Jones’ medical costs during a typical lifetime. About 20 million dollars of the settlement will be paid by the insurance of the city.
The case arose from the city of Chicago’s revision of its policies on police chases, which now restricts chases for infractions other than minor traffic infractions and the need for supervisor clearance. However, a few City Council members spoke out and questioned whether or not the policy was sufficiently specified.
According to the city’s legal department, had the case gone to trial. They probably would’ve been required to give the family for their past and future suffering as well as the loss of their normal life, which is estimated by attorneys to be worth over $100 million.
Written by Janiyah White
Sources:
WGN 9 TV: Chicago City Council approves $45M settlement for teen left disabled after police chase
WGN 9 TV: City council committee approves $45 million settlement for teen left disabled after police chase, crash
Chicago Sun Times: Mom says ‘no amount of money’ can bring back ‘healthy, active’ teen injured in unauthorized police chase
Featured Image Courtesy of Philadelphia City Council’s Flickr page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Inventorchris’ Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
