Finance Committee authorizes $27M settlement stemming from deadly police chase

March 14, 2026 - 04:38

The city's Finance Committee has authorized a $27 million legal settlement stemming from a deadly police pursuit and its traumatic aftermath. The substantial payout resolves a lawsuit filed by the family of a woman killed during the incident.

According to Deputy Corporation Counsel Margaret Mendenhall-Casey, the settlement amount grew from an initial $10 million jury verdict after a pivotal piece of evidence emerged. A previously unseen post-crash video, not presented during the first trial, played a decisive role. The footage reportedly shows the deceased woman's young daughter at the scene, crawling over her mother's body and falling to the ground while police officers stood by.

Mendenhall-Casey indicated that the plaintiff's legal team would have argued this video demonstrated profound negligence and emotional distress inflicted upon the child. This powerful visual evidence significantly increased the city's potential liability, leading to the escalated settlement figure. The committee's approval marks a major financial resolution to a case that has highlighted the far-reaching human consequences of police actions.