The city of Chicago has quietly agreed to pay $190,000 to three people who say they were beaten by Chicago police during unrest at the Brickyard Mall on May 31, 2020. Under an offer of judgment filed on May 4, Lazendra Collins and Lawrence Teague are set to receive $75,000 each, while Willie Teague would receive $45,000. The trio allege officers smashed their car’s windows, dragged people from vehicles and struck Collins’ hand with a baton, injuries she says have left lasting damage.
Records show the case ended when the city’s lawyers served an offer of judgment and the plaintiffs accepted, according to WTTW. Federal court filings list the suit as Collins et al. v. City of Chicago, filed in 2021, per Justia. WTTW also reports that Lawrence Teague’s disorderly conduct charge was dismissed in September 2020, that all three plaintiffs have been diagnosed with serious emotional injuries and that Chicago has spent roughly $13 million defending and resolving cases tied to the post 2020 unrest.
What plaintiffs say happened at the Brickyard Mall
The plaintiffs say they were trying to drive out of the Brickyard when they saw officers smash the windows of another car and pull people out, and Collins began recording on her phone. Video and contemporaneous reporting documented by ABC7 Chicago show the confrontation and include interviews in which Collins and Willie Teague say officers struck them after they started filming.
Why the city used an offer of judgment
The city’s Law Department cast the move as a way to cut risk and legal costs in a potentially high exposure case, spokesperson Kristen Cabanban told WTTW. An offer of judgment is a formal tool under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that lets a defendant name a specific judgment amount and can shift certain post offer costs to a plaintiff who turns it down, according to Cornell’s LII. Lawyers use the mechanism sparingly in high exposure civil cases, in part because it gives both sides a way to avoid a costly, unpredictable trial.
What happens next
Because the proposed payout tops $100,000, the agreement still needs City Council approval before any money is paid out. A similar Brickyard Mall case in 2022, which would have paid about $1.67 million, cleared the council’s Finance Committee after heated debate. Fox 32 Chicago reported on that earlier settlement and the council vote. Attorneys for the current plaintiffs say they are satisfied with the offer and hope the resolution reflects accountability for officers’ conduct during the 2020 protests.
-2.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
