The family of a Chicago Police officer killed in March when his vehicle was struck by a van being pursued by Calumet Park police has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the village.
David L. Harris, a 10-year Chicago Police veteran, had just ended his shift and was on his way home the night of March 14 when the van struck his car in the 8700 block of South Lafayette Avenue just off the Dan Ryan Expressway.
A Calumet Park police officer started chasing the van after he noticed the driver commit several traffic violations, and saw the license plate did not belong to that vehicle, the Sun-Times reported previously.
Tuesday’s lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Harris’ wife, Sandra Harris, accuses the Village of Calumet Park and its police officer of acting “with utter disregard for the safety of others.”
The suit also accuses the officer of pursuing the van into another jurisdiction without a supervisor’s approval, and continuing the chase after a supervisor ordered him to terminate it.
“The Harris family and the public at large are entitled to know how such a preventable tragedy occurred,” said Matthew Jenkins, an attorney for the plaintiff.
Attorneys have obtained an order to preserve evidence in the case, including audio of Calumet Park police communications.
Calumet Park police declined to discuss the pursuit at the time of the crash, citing an ongoing investigation. Police sources told the Sun-Times the pursuit was called off before the accident, but did not provide further details.
The van’s driver, 31-year-old Shanell Terrell, was charged with first-degree murder, and is next scheduled to appear in court Nov. 6 in Markham, court records show.
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Burt Odelson, an attorney for Calumet Park, said Tuesday the village is reviewing the suit, and will defend itself against the allegations.
