A teenager injured in a 2019 shootout between suburban Chicago police and a bank robbery suspect inside a music school has reached a $1.9 million settlement with the city of Des Plaines.
This agreement comes almost four years after the teen was accidentally shot by a Des Plaines Officer during the incident. The officer was pursuing an armed suspect who had previously shot another officer during a bank robbery in Des Plaines. The suspect sought refuge in Upbeat Music & Arts on Chicago's Northwest Side, and the officer entered, ultimately killing the suspect but also unintentionally injuring the teen, who was a 15-year-old intern at the school.
The bullet severely damaged the teen's left elbow, causing harm to an artery, nerve, and bone, jeopardizing his guitar-playing aspirations. The teen's parents filed a lawsuit in Cook County circuit court, asserting that the officer's actions were excessive and demonstrated reckless and willful conduct. The officer was not criminally charged, cleared by the city of any wrongdoing, and remains with the department.
The now 19-year-old, currently a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago, underwent over a dozen surgeries and three years of physical therapy. He continues to play guitar and compose music, even producing a song for his girlfriend, but he still deals with the effects of his injury.
The settlement with Des Plaines does not entail an admission of wrongdoing or liability, as stated by the city.
