The Chicago police pursuit accident is expected to cost taxpayers another $1.7 million in compensation

A car crash sparked by a police chase in Avalon Park that allegedly violated department rules is expected to cost Chicago taxpayers $1.7 million.

Councilors on the City Council's finance committee approved the expansive settlement Wednesday, along with two other agreements to resolve lawsuits alleging police misconduct. If the full council approves the agreements next week, the agreements will cost the city more than $2.5 million.

The committee has also pushed forward a plan to refinance bonds to save money and help close this year's severe budget deficit.

The month's most expensive settlement stemmed from a “willful and wanton prosecution” by Chicago police, City Attorney Margaret Mendenhall Casey told city councilors. According to court documents, officers Kevin Gomez and Andrius Tkachuk attempted to stop John Tinker during the early morning stop in July 2018.

But Tinker, who drove a Dodge Charger, wouldn't stop. He tried to escape police, who chased him for about two minutes over a mile, Mendenhall Casey said.

That's when Tinker's car collided with Eddie Banks Jr.'s vehicle at the intersection of South Stony Island Avenue and East 83rd Street. The collision left Banks, an innocent bystander, with broken ribs and a broken pelvis. He spent a month in the hospital and had two abdominal surgeries, Mendenhall Casey said.

Police arrested Tinker at the scene, Mendenhall Casey said. Court records show he pleaded guilty to a felony in 2021 and was sentenced to 30 months probation after spending most of his time on bail before trial. He completed his probation in March, according to court records.

Banks filed a lawsuit against both Tinker and the city, alleging that the police caused the accident by failing to follow the police department's rules for chases when pursuing Tinker. A city analysis found that Tinker has no assets, meaning the city would likely have to foot the bill if a jury awarded Banks a larger settlement in court, Mendenhall Casey said.

Ald. Bill Conway, 34th, voted for the settlement, but not without complaining about Illinois law that requires cities to cover the legal costs of such settlements.

“The law is just terrible for us when it comes to police chases and the liability that they impose on us,” Conway said.

Councilors also pushed for $332,500 in compensation for a woman who was involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for two days by police. According to City Attorney Caroline Fronczak, the woman called police in June 2019 after employees of her Streeterville high-rise allegedly entered her apartment without permission while she was moving out.

The woman hoped to file a trespassing report with the police, but then-Sgt. Andrew Dakuras declined and an argument ensued. She asked Dakuras to leave. When he wouldn't, she tried to escape from him in another room and then left her apartment barefoot to escape from him, Fronczak said. Dakuras followed close behind.

“Rational people don’t act like that,” he told her, Fronczak said.

The woman was handcuffed and transported to a hospital. She spent two days in a mental institution. But there was no evidence that she would harm anyone or herself, meaning her behavior did not meet the threshold for involuntary institutionalization, Fronczak said.

And the committee recommended $445,000 for a woman who suffered a broken shoulder and spine when an officer driving 55 miles per hour “unsuccessfully attempted to brake” and hit the car at an intersection in the Douglas neighborhood crashed with her and her 11-month-old child.

Refinancing of bonds

Councilors also approved plans to refinance up to $1.5 billion in debt, a move that budget officials said would not result in an increase in city spending and would help close this year's deficit.

Chief Financial Officer Jill Jaworski estimated the deal could result in $90 million in savings applied to this fiscal year and $35 million to the next, while reducing the city's overall debt burden.

“With interest rates lower in the market today, we can sell this at a lower yield instead of paying 5% for the old bond,” Jaworksi said, probably 3% or 3.5%. The refinancing could also include a tender where the city could buy and forgive its own debt. “This is how we generate savings.”

This refinancing — which will include general obligation and Sales Tax Securitization Corporation bonds — has been planned since last year, when Jaworski's team expected $70 million in refinancing savings to balance the 2024 budget.

However, some city councilors felt overwhelmed because they had to approve the resolution without knowing the details. Most were informed Friday, while the city plans to price the bonds before the November election and close soon afterward. Four members of the Finance Committee voted against the refinancing.

“If we don’t do the transaction at all, we’re essentially adding $70 million to our budget deficit,” Jaworski said. “Now we are looking at more than $70 million, which will be helpful because it will reduce the budget deficit for this year. But we would increase the deficit if we did not go through with the transaction.”

Originally published: October 2, 2024 at 4:15 p.m