Politics
City Lawyers Recommend Paying $16.6M Man Who Spent 13 Years in Prison After Being Framed by Disgraced Ex-Detective
(WTTW News)
Chicago taxpayers should pay $16.6 million to a man who spent 13 years in prison after he was framed by a disgraced former Chicago police detective for a 1991 murder, city lawyers recommended.
Demetrius Johnson was 15 years old when he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison after being investigated by Reynaldo Guevara, a former Chicago police detective accused of routinely framing suspects.
The proposed settlement is set to be considered Wednesday by the City Council’s Finance Committee. A final vote by the City Council could come on Feb. 18.
It is one of four lawsuits naming Guevara that city lawyers have recommended settling that the Finance Committee will consider resolving on Wednesday at a cost of $29.2 million.
A spokesperson for Corporation Counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry said the proposed settlements “bring the matters to a responsible close” after extensive negotiations to reach resolutions that are fair, fiscally responsible, and in the best interest of taxpayers.”
Chicago taxpayers paid an additional $2 million to defend Guevara and the other Chicago police officers named in Johnson’s lawsuit, which was filed in 2020, according to records obtained by WTTW News through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Johnson’s lawsuit is one of 44 pending lawsuits against Guevara and the city.
Johnson was convicted of killing 20-year-old Edwin Fred and wounding Raul Ortiz, 15, during a June 1991 drive-by shooting near Claremont and North avenues in Humboldt Park. Johnson was sentenced to 25 years in prison, and paroled in 2004, records show.
Johnson was the second person to be arrested in connection with that shooting. The other man was released without charges despite being identified as the gunman by a witness.
Guevara denied under oath during Johnson’s trial that another man had been identified as the gunman on the night of the shooting. That testimony was false, records show.
CPD officials did not disclose that another man had been identified as the man who shot Fred and Ortiz until forced to do so as part of another lawsuit filed by a man convicted based on evidence gathered by Guevara.
The only evidence against Johnson was the testimony of three people who said they saw him fire the fatal shots. Several others testified that Johnson was with them watching the Chicago Bulls win their first NBA championship at the time of the killing.
All three witnesses later testified they identified Johnson after Guevara showed them his picture and said he was responsible for the shooting.
In November 2019, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office agreed to vacate Johnson’s conviction, and in 2020 he was awarded a certificate of innocence.
If approved, it would be the 12th lawsuit filed by Chicagoans who said they were the victims of Guevara’s misconduct to be resolved at a cost of approximately $136.6 million to Chicago taxpayers.
WTTW News coverage of policing and police reform is supported by The Joyce Foundation.
Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]
