City Council Committee Approves Settlements To Families Of David Koschman, Laquan McDonald
(CBS) -- A Chicago City committee has voted to approve two big settlements in connection with cases involving police, in one way or another, reports WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore.
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The City Council Finance Committee is recommending a $5 million settlement for the family of Laquan McDonald, a knife-wielding teenager Corporation Counsel Steve Patton says was shot 16 times and killed last year by a police officer who claimed he was in fear of his life, though no other officers on the scene fired.
A lawyer for the family argues a police camera shows McDonald was no threat was trying to walk away from the officers. The U.S. Attorney's office confirmed federal authorities are now investigating.
Aldermen also approved a $250,000 settlement in a very high-profile case. The mother of David Koschman was trying to sue the city for the 2004 death of her son, who was killed in a confrontation with Richard Vanecko, a member of the Daley family.
She alleged the crime was covered up. A lower court ruled she waited too long to file her suit.
"I just want to personally say that I hope this settlement will help bring her some measure of closure," Patton said.
Nanci Koschman was appealing the settlement and Patton says fighting the appeal would cost more than the settlement.
"Certainly we think this settlement makes sense, for the city's standpoint and the taxpayers, but we hope this will be yet another step in the multi-part process of bringing closure to this matter," Patton said.
Patton said Nanci Koschman had to wait years to learn the truth in the case.
