Politics
Chicago to Pay $35.6M to Settle 6 Police Misconduct Cases
(Michael Izquierdo / WTTW News)
The Chicago City Council agreed Thursday to pay $35.6 million to resolve six lawsuits alleging a wide range of misconduct by Chicago police officers.
Nine months into the year, Chicago taxpayers have spent at least $266.8 million to resolve nearly two and a half dozen lawsuits, exceeding the city’s annual budget to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct by nearly $185 million, city records show.
It is unclear how the city will find the money to make the payments approved Thursday by the City Council, since it has already exhausted the $82 million officials set aside to cover police misconduct settlements and judgments in 2025.
In the largest settlement approved Thursday, Chicago taxpayers will pay $18.5 million to Francisco Benitez, who spent 34 years in prison after being convicted of a double murder he did not commit.
To resolve a separate lawsuit, taxpayers will pay $8 million to Eric Blackmon, who spent 16 years in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of a 2002 murder.
Chicago taxpayers have now spent $236.7 million since January 2019 to resolve 75 lawsuits brought by people who were wrongfully convicted based on evidence gathered by the Chicago Police Department.
In 2026, taxpayers will pay an additional $90 million to 180 people who spent a combined nearly 200 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted based on what they allege was fabricated evidence gathered by former Chicago Police Sgt. Ronald Watts, who was convicted in 2013 of taking bribes, and other officers.
An additional $7.5 million will go to the family of Yvonne Lee-Wilson, 66, and her husband, Adelbert Wilson, 69, who were struck and killed by a driver being chased by Chicago police in 2022, the latest massive settlement prompted by police pursuits that violated department policy.
In other action, the City Council agreed to pay $950,000 to former Chicago Police Department Lt. Franklin Paz, who said his supervisors retaliated against him after he resisted orders to make “illegal” traffic stops.
The City Council also agreed to pay a combined $640,000 to settle cases for the Lyons and Garcia families, who said their children were held at gunpoint during botched no-knock raids of their apartments.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
