Cleveland will pay $4.8 million to family of bystander teen killed in high-speed police chase
The city of Cleveland, Ohio, will pay $4.8 million to the family of a 13-year-old girl who was struck and killed by a car fleeing police, a spokesperson for the city and an attorney for the girlâs family told CNN.
Tamia Chappman was walking on a sidewalk with a group of friends in December 2019 when she was hit by a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase with officers from the Cleveland Police Department, a complaint states.
The police pursuit followed the armed carjacking of a 72-year-old woman outside a grocery store, according to a statement from the city.
âThey were arrested, later convicted of crimes related to both incidents, and are currently serving decades-long prison sentences,â the statement said.
âThe criminals were quickly identified and cowardly chose to flee from police leading to the tragic death of an innocent 13-year-old girl,â Cleveland spokesperson Sarah Johnson said in the statement.
In 2020, Chappmanâs family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against 22 Cleveland officers, calling the pursuit âegregiously reckless and unnecessary.â
Claims dismissed this week
The Chappman family and the city of Cleveland on Monday âmutually (dismissed) all claims against each other with prejudice,â court records show.
âWe felt that resolving this case at this point would be best for the family,â attorney Stanley Jackson said during a Monday news conference following the dismissal of that case. Jackson said $4.8 million is the largest police-pursuit settlement in Ohio history.
âWe believe that shows, that Tamiaâs life mattered and will change how Cleveland, and other area police departments, go about their business as it relates to the value of life and property,â he said.
The decision to settle the case âwas an extremely difficult one,â Johnson said.
âOn one hand, you have police officers who were trying to do their job to remove violent armed individuals from the streets so they couldnât victimize more people and commit additional violent crimes. On the other hand, a 13-year-old girl was tragically killed leaving her family, friends, and entire community in heartbreak.â
Tamiaâs mother, Sherrie Chappman, said the settlement does not bring her closure. âIâll never get my daughter back,â she said during Mondayâs news conference.
âBut I feel OK about it, and I just really want the police to stop the chases.â
The Cleveland Police Department did not issue a separate statement.
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