Family, their attorneys to discuss tomorrow’s vote and misinformation that has been published regarding the circumstances of the litigation at press conference Thursday
CHICAGO (March 12, 2026) – On Friday, March 13, the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee is expected to vote on a proposed $27 million settlement for the family of a beloved mother of six who was killed in a tragic 2017 collision resulting from an unauthorized Chicago Police pursuit through a South Side residential neighborhood. During a press conference Thursday, the family and their attorneys will address tomorrow’s vote and the dramatic developments that led to the City’s agreement to settle the case for a fraction of what would have been sought at trial. Attorneys will also discuss new evidentiary revelations that were discovered since the Chicago law firm of Salvi, Schostok and Pritchard, P.C. took over the litigation following the appeal of the first trial.
Stacy Vaughn-Harrell, 47, was killed on June 24, 2017 when Chicago Police officers violated their training and CPD general orders to pursue a vehicle in an unmarked SUV – without activating their siren to warn others of the oncoming danger – and when officers had no articulatable basis to believe that its occupants had committed a crime. During the pursuit, the officers reached speeds of at least 56 mph, as the fleeing car ran through four stop signs in a residential neighborhood. The pursuit ended when the fleeing Kia sped through a stop sign at an intersection and slammed into Stacy’s vehicle. Her daughter Kimberlyn Myers, a passenger, received serious and permanent injuries.
Video evidence from the scene shows Kimberlyn crawling over the body of her dying mother to extricate herself from the car, as officers passively stood by and tried to deny their involvement in the pursuit over police radios. Stacy was pronounced dead at the scene and Kimberlyn suffered a fractured clavicle and lacerated liver. Despite the presence of multiple officers on the scene, the driver of the fleeing vehicle escaped on foot and has never been apprehended to this day.
A wrongful death lawsuit was originally filed by a different law firm in 2018, claiming Defendants engaged in willful and wanton conduct in their traffic stop and subsequent vehicle pursuit. The case proceeded to trial in May of 2023 with limited evidence and no expert medical testimony presented. The trial resulted in a $10,153,000 million jury verdict. Following the trial, the City filed motions to appeal the verdict and requested a new trial, citing issues during motions in limine and closing arguments. The appellate court granted a new trial, at which time the previous firm was replaced with the Chicago law firm Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, the same firm that secured a national record with a $79 million police pursuit verdict in the case of Spicer v. City of Chicago [Case No.: 2021 L 8795]. New information and evidence came to light through Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard’s investigation that resulted in the $27 million settlement as the parties were about to begin a second trial.
On Thursday afternoon, Stacy Vaughn-Harrell’s family and their attorneys will address public comments about the settlement amount and how the parties came to an agreement that, if approved, will likely result in taxpayer savings of tens of millions of dollars. The press conference will be held at 2 p.m. at the Law Offices of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard (161 N. Clark St., 35th Floor). During the press conference, attorneys for the family will answer questions from the media ahead of tomorrow’s 10 a.m. Finance Committee vote.
The Harrell family is represented by Lance D. Northcutt, Tara R. Devine, Aaron D. Boeder, Eirene N. Salvi and Jaclyn J. Kurth of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C.
For more information, please contact Marcie Mangan at (312) 372-1227 or mmangan@salvilaw.com.
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