On October 10 the City of Chicago Council Finance Committee signed off on a $4.9 million settlement with the family of 27-year-old Chequita Adams.
Adams was killed in a high-speed chase in June 2017, when off-duty Chicago Police Department Officer Taylor Clark slammed into her car while he was fleeing from police. That is correct, a cop was running from a cop.
On June 27, 2017 Clark had just wrapped up his shift on the west side of Chicago around 1 a.m. when on-duty officers spotted his Jeep Cherokee, which matched the description of a vehicle wanted in a carjacking, The Chicago Sun Times reports.
Clark sped away from the officers’ unmarked squad car, reaching speeds of up to 107 mph, and running a red light at a intersection where he crashed into Adams’ vehicle. Adams and Clark were killed in the crash.
After the crash it was determined that Clark’s vehicle was not the vehicle wanted in the carjacking. Toxicological tests showed Clark tested negative for any substances, including alcohol or illegal narcotics, according to records from the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
The officers who were following Clark’s vehicle did not activate their siren at any time during the pursuit, and didn’t activate their flashing lights until just moments before the crash. An expert hired by the city determined that had the officers activated the lights and sirens, Clark likely would have pulled over.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability has recommended the officer who was chasing Clark – Officer Jamie Jawor – should be fired for driving without due regard for safety, and driving in excess of the speed limit. However, Police Supt. Eddie Johnson rejected that recommendation, which means a random member of the Chicago Police Board now has to decide whether the board should take up the case.
