A Chicago musician who was 15 when he was accidentally shot by a suburban police officer during a 2019 bank-robbery chase has accepted a $1.9 million settlement from the City of Des Plaines. The bullet shattered bone and nerve in his left arm, leading to lengthy hospital stays and surgery, and left him with permanent numbness, even as he keeps chasing his music career.
How A Bank Robbery Ended In A Music Studio
On Nov. 19, 2019, a bank robbery in Des Plaines triggered a multi-agency police pursuit that barreled into Chicago and ended inside UpBeat Music & Arts on the Northwest Side. The robbery suspect, identified as Christopher Terrell Willis, ran into the studio with officers close behind. Shots were fired, Willis was killed by a pursuing officer, and 15-year-old intern Rylan Wilder was struck by gunfire, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Years Of Surgery, Still Making Music
Wilder spent weeks in the hospital and has undergone about 18 surgeries to repair damage to his arm and abdomen. The recovery has been grueling, but it has not pushed him off stage. "My playing is a lot different than it used to be, but I'm trying to make it work," he told CBS Chicago, as he continues studying music in college.
The $1.9 Million Deal And City Line
Wilder signed off on a $1.9 million settlement with Des Plaines in October 2023, just as lawyers were gearing up for jury selection. The agreement ended the family’s civil lawsuit over the shooting, according to The Associated Press. The city said its insurer approved the payout and that it did not admit any wrongdoing. Officials also noted that Officer James Armstrong, the Des Plaines officer who fired the shot that hit Wilder, had been dismissed from the lawsuit and remains on the force.
No Criminal Charges, Open Questions
Cook County prosecutors reviewed the shooting and in 2021 declined to bring criminal charges against Armstrong, ruling that his use of deadly force against the robbery suspect was justified. The civil case instead zeroed in on whether the chase and the officer’s tactics put bystanders in unnecessary danger. Those questions were resolved behind closed doors rather than in front of a jury when the settlement was reached, as reported by the Daily Herald.
Why The Payout Echoes Beyond One Studio
Civil settlements like Wilder’s keep fueling debates over how police are trained, how far chases should go, and what rules should apply when officers cross into another jurisdiction with guns drawn. National data compiled by Campaign Zero’s Mapping Police Violence project shows stark racial and geographic gaps in deadly encounters with officers, a pattern advocates say makes cases involving innocent bystanders particularly loaded, as Axios has summarized.
Wilder has said the settlement will help cover his ongoing medical care, but he has been clear that money alone is not the point. He hopes the case pushes departments to rethink how they operate. What he wants, he told CBS Chicago, is "better training for police; some regulations, or laws, or something just to make everyone feel a little bit safer."
