$3.5 million settlement recommended for family of man killed by driver being chased by Chicago police
Chicago taxpayers could pay $3.5 million to the family of a man who was killed by a driver being chased by police in the Little Village neighborhood in 2020, under a settlement recommended by the city's attorneys.
The city's Law Department recommended the settlement with the family of Jose Almanza-Martinez, who was walking to a Walgreens pharmacy at the corner of 26th Street and Pulaski Road on the night of Aug. 2, 2020, when he was hit by a 2006 Acura CL sedan.
Almanza-Martinez, who was married with two adult sons at the time of the crash, died from his injuries three days later, according to his family's lawsuit.
His family's lawyers said police pulled over the Acura's driver earlier for failing to signal a turn, and for a having a cracked side rear view mirror. The driver sped off after police pulled him over, and officers engaged in a high-speed chase of the Acura, reaching speeds of more than 60 mph on residential streets where the speed limit was 30 mph.
The lawsuit claims the chase violated police protocol, because they had no knowledge the driver had committed anything more than a minor traffic violation, and had confirmed the vehicle was not stolen. The officers also were accused of failing to get authorization for the chase from a supervisor, and for initiating the chase in an unmarked squad car when CPD policy requires marked police cars to lead any vehicle pursuits.
The City Council Finance Committee is scheduled to vote on the proposed $3.5 million settlement with Almanza-Martinez' family on Monday. If approved, a final vote by the full City Council could come on Wednesday.
