In Chicago (WLS) — Before the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee votes on a $1.25 million settlement regarding a civil rights lawsuit related to the fatal police shooting of Dexter Reed during a traffic stop last year, there might be resistance.
“One reason behind settling is our corporation counsel’s observation that there is a risk of facing a larger lawsuit, aiming to protect the citizens’ money,” explained 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett.
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Reed was killed on March 21, 2024.
Terms of the out-of-court settlement were reached in November.
The city’s Civilian Office of Police Accountability revealed that during the mentioned traffic stop, the 26-year-old individual fired first, injuring a Chicago police officer.
Officers then fired 96 shots at Reed, hitting him 13 times.
The plainclothes tactical team traveling in an unmarked squad had originally stopped Reed in the city’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood for an alleged seatbelt violation.
Alderman Marty Quinn, whose 13th Ward on Chicago’s Southwest Side is home to a lot of first responders, calls the settlement a bad deal.
“Dexter Reed shot first, and you can’t shoot a Chicago police officer ever, ever. And the precedent that is establishing that you shoot a police officer and you get $1.2 million, that’s a very dangerous precedent for the city to take. So, I will be voting, ‘no,'” Quinn said.
Other alders question the speed of the settlement compared to others.
“What’s also concerning is how quickly COPA took such an adversarial position with scheduling press conferences and was engaging with the Reed family. They’re supposed to be objective,” 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea said.
Reed’s family said he suffered from mental illness, and filed the civil rights lawsuit alleging the traffic stop was racially motivated, which is something the city denies.
Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th Ward alderman, said he’s going to vote for the settlement.
“The family of Dexter Reed deserves justice. Dexter Reed deserves justice. What occurred to him is terrible,” Ramirez-Rosa said.
The four officers involved were placed on desk duty.
If passed, the settlement proposal could go before the full City Council for a final vote as soon as Feb. 19.
Neither CPD nor the city’s law department were expected to comment on the proposed settlement.
Reed family attorney Andrew Stroth declined to comment.
The Finance Committee is set to take up the settlement proposal on Monday.
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